S.O. Goenoengsari. Achteraanzicht fabriek. 30-4-27. 1927

This photograph titled 'S.O. Goenoengsari. Achteraanzicht fabriek. 30-4-27' was made on April 30th, 1927, by an anonymous artist. It's a straightforward, unpretentious capture of a factory scene. What grabs me is the texture, the way the light bounces off different surfaces. The building in the center is just fascinating. It looks like there may be a grid in the process of being constructed; something about that incompleteness lends the piece an energetic quality. The anonymity of the artist adds another layer. You get the sense that the act of documentation was more important than any kind of artistic flourish. The grays are soft and subdued, but they invite you to look, and really see. This work reminds me of Bernd and Hilla Becher’s photographs, but with more of a raw, off-the-cuff quality. Art isn't always about answers; sometimes it's about sparking a question.