Reliëf van de Borobudur (Boroboedoer), nabij Magelang, Nederlands-Indië c. 1895 - 1915

This photograph shows a relief from Borobudur in Magelang, taken by Onnes Kurkdjian sometime in the late 19th century. The gray scale is dense and full. Imagine being Kurkdjian, lugging heavy equipment and glass plates to the site, setting up under cloth in bright sunlight to capture an image. What did he think as he peered into the camera? Was he interested in how light played across the figures, creating soft shadows and defined edges? I find myself staring at the repetition of shapes and forms, each figure slightly different but still part of a larger whole. I notice the textures of the stone and the way the carvings tell stories through detailed scenes. There is a real emotional depth to the scene. Kurkdjian's photo is just one in a long history of artists trying to capture the essence of life and belief. Each generation builds on the last, and, as painters, we are all in conversation with one another. It is about opening up possibilities, not closing them down.