Wals 1931 - 1937

This photograph called 'Wals' was made by an anonymous artist. Looking at this, I can almost hear the rumble of the engine, feel the heat radiating off the metal. There's something about the weight and scale of that machine. I imagine the photographer circling it, trying to capture its essence, maybe feeling a little intimidated by its sheer power. And then there are the figures next to the wals. I wonder what they were thinking? Were they proud of the machine they operated? How the light falls and catches their expressions. It's all so carefully composed, yet there's a sense of spontaneity, as if the photographer just happened upon this scene and captured it in a flash. It's this combination of intention and chance that makes this image so compelling. It gets me thinking of industrial landscapes and the everyday beauty of labor.