Houtvlot op de Surinamerivier 1913 - 1930

This is a small black and white photograph by Theodoor Browers, and what I love about a photo like this is that it is a bit like a painting—he's evoking a mood as much as capturing a scene. Just think about it—Brouwers, setting up his camera on the Surinamerivier, trying to capture the light on the water, the dark clouds forming overhead, and this raft of logs floating by. What was he thinking? Did he see something of himself in this little boat? I love the contrast here, a sense of the sublime in the sky, a sense of the gritty reality of the raft, and those tiny figures trying to make their way. I think of Turner, or Whistler, or Gerhard Richter, how they work with atmosphere and the weight of human experience. Each has a unique way of seeing and interpreting the world around them, and like them, Browers is part of that ongoing artistic conversation.