Twee foto's van Greet en Lien Lapp in Wanasari 1910

This is a page from an album by Carolina Frederika Onnen, these two small photographs capture Greet and Lien Lapp in Wanasari. They're simple, straight-forward pictures, but the way they're composed, especially in relation to each other, tells a story. The top image shows a wide, sweeping landscape, the ordered terrace contrasting with the wild nature. It's as if the land is being shaped, tamed even. The second image is a close-up, an intimate scene of two people in a jungle. Look how the light filters through the leaves, creating a dappled effect, almost like a painting. This focus on texture reminds me of the work of Georgia O'Keeffe. Taken together these photographs describe an exchange between human action and nature. Neither overpowers the other, but exist in a perpetual, perhaps harmonious, state of negotiation. It’s a reminder that art, like life, is about seeing the world in layers, finding meaning in the unexpected juxtapositions.