S.O. Goenoengsari. Centrifuges, koeltroggen en kookpannen. begin Aug: 1927. 1927 - 1928

This black and white photograph from August 1927, of centrifuges, cooling tanks, and cooking pans, gives me the feeling of being deep inside the belly of a machine. I imagine the photographer – who, sadly, is unknown to us – must have been quite awestruck by this scene. They carefully aligned the image so that the crisscrossing structures create a composition that is both confusing and, somehow, ordered. There is almost a sense of rhythm in the repetition of pipes and beams. I can just see them, maybe a little intimidated, trying to find the perfect angle to capture the scale and complexity. Maybe they thought of it as a portrait of industry, a testament to human ingenuity. Who knows? This makes me think of the Bechers’ images of industrial structures, how one person's mundane is another person's treasure, and how artists are always in conversation, each adding their own voice to the mix.