Transport per trein van molenrollen voor de suikerindustrie Possibly 1939

This photograph, Transport per trein van molenrollen voor de suikerindustrie, was made by an anonymous artist and it shows a train loaded up with sugar industry equipment. The grey scale creates a somber feeling, a quiet stillness blankets the photograph. The texture of the photograph is smooth, but the subject matter is gritty and industrial. If you look closer at the cylinders loaded onto the train you can just about make out that they are secured with rope. The composition of the photograph is simple, but the subject matter is complex. The multiple parts of the train create a layered effect, alluding to the complexity of the sugar industry, the various processes that it takes to get that sugar on the table. Photographs like this by unknown artists remind me of the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher. They were conceptual photographers famous for their photographs of industrial buildings and structures. There's something similar going on here, where the images feel almost objective and devoid of personal touch, yet still deeply expressive. There's always something beautiful about seeing things that we don't normally pay attention to.