Aankomst van resident F.J. Junius bij de onthulling van de 'Junius-bank' in Tandjongkarang Possibly 1933 - 1935

This photograph, taken by an anonymous photographer, captures the arrival of resident F.J. Junius at the unveiling of the 'Junius-bank' in Tandjongkarang. It's all about the light, isn’t it? A certain kind of hazy, tropical light. The photograph has a documentary feel, but it is also a study in contrasts. The dark car is balanced against the bright, formal attire of the figures in the foreground. These are contrasted with the organic shapes of the trees and foliage. Look at the way the eye is led through the photograph by the diagonals of the grass. Think of those anonymous photographers, traveling around, trying to capture something of the spirit of a place. It’s hard to know what they were thinking, but you can feel the heat, the humidity, the strangeness of the encounter. The ambiguity is what makes it so fascinating. Like the work of Lisette Model, this is about the poetry of the everyday.