Borobudur 1947 - 1948

This small mounted photograph of Borobudur captures an old memory or record. I can imagine the photographer deciding which image to keep: the angle, the light, the focus... It’s a fleeting moment made permanent. What else was discarded? What other shots were taken? Here, the grey tones really flatten the architectural space, while the figures on the steps offer a point of focus. Did they know they were being photographed? What were their lives like? In a way, that is how we make an artwork, editing, cropping and re-imagining. What does this editing out offer us? Like a painter, the photographer chose the composition, highlighting some elements while leaving others in shadow. Maybe the act of documenting a moment can be like a conversation, always incomplete, but filled with potential.