Tempel Mendoet (na de restauratie), ten zuiden van Magelang, Nederlands-Indië c. 1895 - 1915

This is a photograph of Tempel Mendoet, south of Magelang, in what was then known as the Dutch East Indies, taken by Onnes Kurkdjian. Look at how the light is captured, the subtle shifts in tone are incredible, almost like watercolour. There’s a tactile quality to this image, the way the temple almost emerges from the earth. The eye is drawn to the textures: the rough stone, the carved details, the way the light defines every edge and plane. The photograph is like a dance between light and shadow, a constant movement, giving the temple an almost life-like presence. Notice how the palms sway gently in the background adding to the sense of time passing. It brings to mind the work of someone like Bernd and Hilla Becher, these photographers understood the beauty of architecture, and the way buildings can express our deepest needs and desires. It’s the human story embedded in the stone, and the landscape that I find so moving. Art is always a conversation, and this photograph speaks volumes.