Rietlosinrichting in bedrijf 1917 - 1938

Otto Hisgen made this photograph, "Rietlosinrichting in bedrijf," at an unknown date and with unknown materials; however, it seems like the process may have involved careful arrangement of the composition. What strikes me is the geometry of the architecture, like the beams of a barn; this creates an interesting interplay with the organic forms of the men and sugar cane, which are repeated throughout the space. The photograph has a textural richness, especially in the piles of sugar cane and the rough surfaces of the walls and metal structures. You can almost feel the grit and weight of the materials. The ladders give the image a ziggurat quality, which is echoed by the way the light reflects off the ceiling in a step pattern. This image reminds me of the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who photographed industrial structures with a similar attention to detail and composition. Like their work, Hisgen's photograph invites us to see beauty in the mundane and to appreciate the patterns and forms that shape our built environment.