Times for Call to Prayer, Jami-ul-Alfar Mosque, Pettah, Colombo, Sri Lanka 1993

Virginia Beahan and Laura McPhee captured this image of the Jami-ul-Alfar Mosque in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with what I imagine was a large format camera – just look at that clarity! The colours are muted, like a faded memory, and everything seems to be telling a story of time and place. What strikes me is the collection of clocks, each frozen at a slightly different moment. Are they synchronized? Do they represent different time zones, or maybe different times for prayer? The image has a beautiful, layered surface, a build-up of textures. There is the peeling paint on the walls, the faded lettering on the signs, and the intricate patterns of the mosque itself. My eye is drawn to the chair, carrying a sign, an object that seems almost like a sculpture, and a poem. This piece reminds me a little of the photographs of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who documented industrial structures with such care and precision. But here, there’s a warmth, an invitation to slow down and contemplate the layers of history embedded in this one small corner of the world. It’s a reminder that art can be found in the most unexpected places.