Molendraaierij 1929 - 1932

This photo, "Molendraaierij," by Atelier Umbgrove, is like stepping back in time. It’s awash in shades of gray, and the lack of color gives it this timeless, almost ghostly feel. It reminds us that art is not just about the finished product, but the process itself. The subject matter is a workshop floor, the eye led by a kind of rhythm of repetitive shapes of heavy machinery, with workers dotted among them. Look at the dark patches on the floor in the bottom left of the piece. It's so visceral, and the physicality of the medium is so in your face. Each mark feels intentional, a testament to the act of creation. It's like looking at a painting by the Bechers, or Bernd and Hilla Becher, who photographed industrial structures in a similar way. It makes you think about the history of image-making and how each generation builds upon the past. Art is not created in a bubble.