Omploegen van sawahs met behulp van karbouwen 1900 - 1935

This photo of oxen plowing was made by Neville Keasberry, though the exact date has been lost to time. You can imagine him watching this scene unfold, and wanting to capture the work, the water, the beasts, and the distant hills. I find myself wondering about the stillness, or the process behind the stillness. When I look at this, I think about painting, about how the earth is turned over and over and over to prepare it for the next thing. I think how the artist is like the farmer turning the soil, tilling the surface for planting. Both are physical, but also deeply connected to patience and the hope of growth. That moment when you find yourself in a field, or a studio, and you’re watching the light, the animals, the slow turn of a wheel. It is a moment of labor, yes, but also reflection and communion with our surroundings. It’s about a continuous engagement with the here and now that all artists can relate to.