Willem van den Berg op zijn boerderij in Transvaal, Zuid-Afrika 1967 - 1971

This image shows Willem van den Berg on his farm in Transvaal, South Africa, and was captured at an unknown date. It is a black-and-white image of the daily life of the farm. The figures and animals are caught in the act, the dust swirling around them. I wonder what it was like to capture such a scene. I imagine Van den Berg setting up the camera, carefully composing the shot, waiting for the right moment to press the shutter, wanting to preserve a particular moment in time, a specific kind of labor, a way of living. The composition is so carefully arranged, the figures almost seem to be performing for the camera, aware of being documented. It makes me think about how we construct our own histories and how the act of recording can shape our understanding of the world. I feel inspired to make my own records and constructions.