Mannen bij een waterwerk bij suikerfabriek Ngandjoek op Java c. 1925 - 1930

This sepia toned photograph captures men by the waterworks at the Ngandjoek sugar factory in Java. Isken’s image presents a scene of human construction integrated within the natural landscape. The neutral palette creates a sense of timelessness, as if the image could have been taken yesterday or a hundred years ago. Isken’s way of seeing invites us to consider the relationship between labor, industry, and environment. What was Isken thinking when he made this picture? Maybe they were considering the impact of colonial industry on the local population and landscape. We, as artists, build on what came before, each adding our voice to an ongoing conversation. Every choice - the angle, the composition, the light - reflects a point of view. This picture encourages us to reflect on how we see the world and the stories we tell about it.