Hal met verdampingsinstallatie van suikerfabriek Ngandjoek op Java c. 1925 - 1930

This photograph shows a sugar factory in Ngandjoek, Java. It was taken by Isken using a camera, of course, but what kind? The tone of the photograph is really interesting. It's almost like a painting, the marks making it so you can almost feel the heat rising from the sugar. I'm drawn to the geometric shapes of the fields and the way the factory rises out of the landscape. It makes me think about how industry changes the world around us, sometimes for better, sometimes not. The tonal range of this piece really carries it. I wonder what Edward Burtynsky would make of this image? He also deals with industry, but in a different way. This piece leaves a lot open to interpretation, and I think that's one of its strengths. It reminds us that art doesn't always have to have all the answers. Sometimes, it's enough to just ask questions.