Molen voor suikerfabriek Possibly 1929

This photograph, "Molen voor suikerfabriek", was taken by an anonymous artist and is preserved at the Rijksmuseum. This photographer is not trying to pretty things up, that's for sure. It's almost brutally frank, a document of a sugar factory, but there is something about the almost abstract composition of the machinery that I find beautiful. The texture of the image is grainy, suggesting the use of film photography. The palette is strictly monochrome, emphasizing the industrial nature of the subject. Look how the light catches on the huge bolts and plates. The photograph is a dance between light and shadow, highlighting the sharp edges and the soft curves of the machinery. There’s something about the repetitive geometry that reminds me of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who photographed industrial structures to make these incredible typologies. It makes you think about the nature of art itself, about what we consider worthy of attention and preservation. What is the border between mere documentation and something deeper? I don't have the answer, but I like that the image asks the question.