Woningen aan de Brantas voor werknemers van suikerfabriek Meritjan te Kediri op Java c. 1925 - 1930

This photograph of workers' houses at the Meritjan sugar factory in Kediri, Java, captures an intimate moment. The greyscale tonality creates a sense of stillness. I imagine Isken, the photographer, carefully framing the shot. How has he chosen to include the tree? I see a barrier around the edge of the garden. It’s like the inhabitants are kept in, or the outside is kept out. I wonder if that's intentional? The contrast between the buildings and the vegetation brings a textural quality to the composition, as if the artist is balancing light and shadow. There’s something about the quality of light and texture that feels so human. I feel like I'm in dialogue with Isken, and every artist who has ever tried to capture a fleeting moment. Each photograph, each painting, is a new way of seeing, feeling, and understanding our shared world. We all inform each other's vision.