Berggezicht op de gunung Kawi vanuit de dicht beboste vallei van Malang c. 1900 - 1935

This photographic print presents a stereoscopic view of Gunung Kawi from Malang, Java, captured by Neville Keasberry. It’s like looking through a window, isn’t it? You can almost feel the humidity in the air, the weight of the atmosphere hanging heavy. I imagine Keasberry positioning his camera, tweaking the focus to capture the dense forest, the way it climbs up towards the mountain peaks in the distance. Look at the way the light filters through the trees, creating these soft, blurry patches. It reminds me of Gerhard Richter’s blurred photographs, how he used the act of painting to mimic the imperfections of memory. Keasberry is doing something similar here, using photography to explore the landscape, trying to fix something that is constantly changing. What would it be like to stand there, in that dense vegetation, looking out at that view? Artists are always trying to capture a feeling, a mood, and Keasberry is no different. He’s part of a long tradition of artists, who have been inspired by the natural world. There is an ongoing conversation with artists across time, exchanging ideas and inspiring creativity.