Plantage Accaribo, Suriname 1913 - 1930

This is 'Plantage Accaribo, Suriname', a set of boxes containing glass slides made by Theodoor Brouwers. It's really about the surface of things, and the potential inside. These boxes are made of raw wood, that's been sanded just enough to be smooth but not so much that it loses its grain. The wood is mostly unadorned, but I can see these interesting rusty metal clasps. They are utilitarian, but they also add a layer of texture and history to the piece. Each tiny clasp is a universe of wear and tear. And the boxes! They're like Russian dolls, where each box contains another, a set of possibilities. The boxes are plain, but the contents hint at a wealth of hidden worlds. It makes me think of Joseph Cornell, whose boxes had all sorts of hidden treasures. There's a sense of something beyond the surface, like a promise of a story waiting to be told.