Stationsoverkapping S.S. te Tandjong Priok in aanbouw / spanning 40 Meter - lengte 200 Meter 1916 - 1924

This photograph, of a station in Tandjong Priok in construction, is an anonymous work in black and white. The stark contrast suggests a lot about the period it was made in, an industrial age perhaps. It's like looking at a drawing, but made of light. The steel frame that arches over the station is so intricate, like a web of lines holding the whole thing together. The way the light falls, it makes the ironwork seem almost delicate, even though you know it's strong enough to hold up the roof. The eye travels down the converging lines of the railway tracks. They create a sense of distance in the image, and the tracks create a pull in the photograph into the very far distance. I’m reminded of the architectural photographs by the Bechers, who documented industrial structures with such a stark, honest eye. Both are interested in the shape and form of architectural features, their similarities and differences. This photograph, like theirs, is a reminder that art is everywhere, even in the most functional of places.