S.O. Goenoengsari. Ketelstation. begin Aug. 1927. 1927 - 1928

This photograph, taken in August 1927, captures the Ketelstation at S.O. Goenoengsari with an anonymous hand and a keen eye. What strikes me is the texture; the way the light plays across the metal surfaces, the rough-hewn quality of the materials. You can almost feel the grit under your fingers. Look at the circular forms on the side of the boilers and how they contrast with the grid-like pattern of the windows. This contrast speaks to me of the collision between organic and inorganic forms. The photograph appears almost to be a painting, with the arrangement of elements forming a composition which draws your eye around the image, despite the static subject matter. It reminds me of the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, their stark documentation of industrial structures. But here, there's a human element, people resting and working in the shadow of these massive machines. This photograph offers not just a record, but a kind of meditation on labour, industry, and the poetics of space. It’s a reminder that art doesn't always need to be deliberate; sometimes, it just happens.