Ossenkarren bij de rietweegbrug en het lorrie-emplacement van suikerfabriek Boedoeran te Sidoarjo op Java c. 1925 - 1930

This photograph by Isken depicts ox carts near the reed bridge and trolley yard of the Boedoeran sugar factory in Sidoarjo, Java. Notice how the composition is structured around the repetitive forms of the ox carts, creating a visual rhythm across the landscape. The monochrome palette, with its subtle gradations, emphasizes texture and materiality. The image is divided horizontally, with the building and open field above, and the carts occupying the lower section. The carts, rendered with careful detail, become signs within a semiotic system that speaks to labor, industry, and colonial economies. The wheels act as a motif, suggesting movement, labor and perhaps, the relentless cycle of production. The photograph is not just a record of a place but an artifact that reflects the structural forces at play within the historical context of Java. The image invites us to consider the relationship between representation, reality, and the unseen power structures that shape our understanding of the world.