Hal met machines van suikerfabriek Goedo te Djombang op Java c. 1925 - 1930

This photo by Isken, shows a sugar factory in Djombang, Java. The sepia tone gives everything a feeling of age, like an antique postcard from a time that has long past, the photograph is a document of the past. What’s so striking is the composition – look at how the web of pipes and machinery fills the frame, creating a dense network of lines. It's almost overwhelming, but there's a strange beauty in the complexity. Your eye goes on a little journey, following the lines and trying to make sense of it all. The different tones of sepia in the image create depth and shadow, giving a sense of how colossal the place is, the factory and machinery becoming characters in a play. It reminds me of some of the industrial scenes in early 20th century photography. It’s like looking at a memory, faded but still powerful. We bring our own experiences of factories into the image, it doesn’t have fixed meaning.