Centrifugestation van suikerfabriek Boedoeran in Sidoarjo op Java c. 1925 - 1930

This photograph, Centrifugestation van suikerfabriek Boedoeran in Sidoarjo op Java, by Isken, shows the interior of a sugar factory, its monochrome palette, a study in browns and beiges, creates a sense of depth and density. The photograph is a study in textures. The rough bags of sugar lined up in the foreground of the photo contrast with the smooth surfaces of the machines in the background. The composition is complex with many shapes, lines, and patterns which all work together to create a cohesive image. The eye is led from the foreground to the background, with the lines of the machines. The picture plane is almost entirely filled, giving the impression of a bustling industrial space and also alluding to the labor and processes of sugar production. I find myself reflecting on the way that work is made invisible, by contrast, the processes of artmaking remain visible in the final product. Like a painting, the photograph is also an index of a process.