Rivierlandschap 1905 - 1910

Editor: Here we have Augusta Curiel's photograph, "Rivierlandschap", taken sometime between 1905 and 1910. It's a very striking image. I am curious about that cloud of white, it's such a curious element. What's your interpretation of this work? Curator: That wisp of white is captivating, isn't it? Given the context of its creation in the early 20th century in Suriname, I see potent symbolism at play here. It speaks to the mystery, but perhaps more tellingly to the power held by nature itself in cultural memory. Editor: Nature's power? Could you explain what you mean? Curator: Think about it – in that era, photography itself felt like conjuring spirits! Curiel is presenting us with a wild, untamed river landscape. She positions us, the viewers, right at the river's edge, facing toward this mist. What might it obscure, and what potential, unknown powers might it possess? Consider what such powerful nature meant to those enslaved. What’s being hinted at is the knowledge and spiritual agency that could only truly reside in these wild lands. Editor: That’s a fascinating point. So, the mist isn't just mist, but a visual metaphor for the unseen and the unsaid? Curator: Precisely! In photography of this time and place, it pushes back against a Western idea of landscape, suggesting secrets, the hidden and enduring power that cannot be colonized. It is in effect resistance. Editor: I see what you mean. It really changes the way I look at the photograph. Thank you, I wouldn't have picked that up on my own! Curator: It’s a privilege to see through your eyes, too! I am now pondering the indigenous relationship with this landscape. Perhaps more exploration awaits!