Natblad transporteur 1931 - 1937

This photograph, ‘Natblad transporteur’, now at the Rijksmuseum, captures an anonymous slice of industrial life, sometime in the past. It’s cool to see the guts of a machine laid bare, and how it's shot—that stark black and white with a strong emphasis on form. The composition is incredible, all these girders and pipes intersecting, creating a kind of mechanical ballet frozen in time. There’s so much texture too, the rough surfaces of the metal contrasting with the smooth cylindrical forms of the machinery. Your eye is immediately drawn to the heart of the work, that huge drum. It looks so old and weathered. It reminds me a bit of those Bernd and Hilla Becher photographs of industrial structures, the way it elevates the mundane to something almost monumental. This photograph invites us to find beauty and wonder in the most unexpected places, to appreciate the artistry inherent in the nuts and bolts of everyday life.