Boeloe Hawar, Battak Kampong op Sumatra 1890 - 1900

Editor: This photograph, "Boeloe Hawar, Battak Kampong op Sumatra," taken sometime between 1890 and 1900 by Stafhell & Kleingrothe, is just so dense. The eye struggles to find a focal point among the thatch huts and palm trees. How should we approach understanding this photograph formally? Curator: Observe how the high contrast, typical of early photography, flattens the picture plane. The interplay of light and shadow is striking, almost obscuring the structures within the grove. Note the compositional rhythm; how the verticality of the palm trunks is juxtaposed against the angularity of the hut roofs. What effect does this contrasting geometry create for you? Editor: It almost creates a sense of unease, that the order of the constructed environment and natural setting are fighting for attention within the frame. I also think the tonal range in the photography is very sophisticated, it’s like they controlled what elements should be accentuated. Is that something they were able to consciously control with early photography, or more incidental to the period? Curator: A very insightful point. There is undoubtedly a conscious selection process at work, deciding what to emphasize through careful framing. Observe the photographers' placement of figures within the image, almost subsumed within the village scene. How does this contribute to the formal balance? Editor: They nearly disappear, emphasizing the structural unity of the campong. It creates a dynamic where people appear secondary to their environment, it speaks to both the monumentality and smallness in the photographic medium. Curator: Precisely. Focusing on the structural relationships allows us to move beyond a simple depiction of a place. Editor: I see how looking at the image this way lets us really understand it on a more essential level. Curator: Indeed, and in the absence of the photographer’s testimony or contextual framing, focusing on the structural devices lets the artwork offer up something new each time.