Tandwiel Possibly 1937

This black and white photograph, Tandwiel, was taken in 1937 by an anonymous photographer. It’s a study in contrasts, mostly of scale, but also of stillness and potential movement. The subject, a giant cogwheel, dominates the frame. The cog teeth are huge, sharp, perfect chevrons that create a strong visual rhythm. Look at the surface, it is matte and smooth, a blank canvas waiting for the light to hit it just so. The eye is drawn to the textures of the machinery that surround it, hinting at the intricate network of processes involved in its creation. See the man standing next to the cog? He looks almost dwarfed by the wheel, which gives us a sense of the sheer size and weight of the industrial object. The wheel seems static, yet its purpose is about rotation, dynamism, and propulsion. It brings to mind other artists, such as Fernand Leger, whose work also celebrated the beauty and power of machines. It’s a photograph, but it’s also a machine for thinking.