Ampaspers 1917 - 1938

This small gelatin silver print presents a detailed view of machinery in tones of silvery gray. The photo looks industrial, maybe even architectural. You can imagine the photographer setting up their camera, carefully framing this hulking subject. I wonder what they were thinking, you know? All those gears, those hard edges, the way they mesh together. Were they interested in how the cogs fit together? Did they think of it as a portrait? Or maybe they thought about it as a still life? The light is so important here. See how it catches on the edges of the metal and the way the light reflects on the floor in a strange triangle. It almost gives the image a feeling of weight. This anonymous photographer has a keen sense of seeing and an eye for the poetry of everyday scenes. It reminds me that the artistic impulse can be found anywhere if you are open to it.