Drie vrouwen in koto op de plantage Clevia 1911

This early photograph shows three women in koto on the Clevia plantation, captured by an anonymous photographer. When I look at this photograph, I see three women in exquisitely patterned skirts, each holding what looks like a woven basket. The photograph is black and white, which only draws you into the textures of the image, and I can’t help thinking about the labor involved in making those outfits – and then the photograph itself. I like to think about what the photographer was trying to capture here. Did they have a particular vision? A message? Or were they trying to express something completely new? I’m really struck by the visual tension between the women and the lush, overgrown plantation behind them. It makes you want to know more about the relationship between them and the space. Artists are constantly engaging with one another across time, responding, riffing, and inspiring each other’s creativity. You can sense that kind of energy in this photograph. It embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing multiple interpretations instead of settling on one fixed idea.