Een rijk gedecoreerde binnenpoort bij Pura Sangsit 1900 - 1915

Editor: This striking photograph captures "Een rijk gedecoreerde binnenpoort bij Pura Sangsit," taken between 1900 and 1915 by Johanna Hermina Marmelstein. The intense ornamentation feels overwhelming; a real feast for the eyes. What catches your attention in this print? Curator: What I immediately notice is the painstaking labor evident in the construction and embellishment. Consider the social and economic implications of such intricate craftsmanship. This wasn’t simply a decorative impulse. Think of the systems required: material sourcing, the division of labor, and the consumption of such a highly crafted product. Does this image reveal clues about those production processes to you? Editor: I guess I hadn't considered the 'means of production' here, I was lost in the picture. Looking again, I am thinking about the resources and skillsets necessary to bring this complex gate into reality, maybe involving a whole community! So how might we challenge that separation between “high art” and “craft” here? Curator: Precisely! Traditional art history might categorize this photograph as simply documenting an example of Balinese architecture, perhaps an anthropological study. But a materialist lens demands we examine the labour – the physical human effort – embedded within the stone. Think about how this portal mediates entry and controls movement; architecture serving social regulation. Moreover, it emphasizes that aesthetic creation is born out of practical and often communal work. Editor: It’s interesting how focusing on the 'materiality' forces you to see this gate – and Marmelstein’s photograph – as products of social labor rather than just artistic expression. Curator: Yes, we must ask: Whose labor made this, and what power dynamics were involved in determining its design and purpose? The monochrome aesthetic emphasizes the physicality of both the portal and Marmelstein's photographic print, reminding us of the hands and materials involved in both constructions. Editor: I'm certainly seeing this piece differently now. Considering the labour transforms my understanding entirely! Curator: Indeed. It gives us a fuller picture – a more grounded understanding of art history.