Woningen aan de straatweg naar Kertosono voor werknemers van suikerfabriek Meritjan te Kediri op Java c. 1925 - 1930

Isken created this photograph of dwellings near the Kertosono road for sugar factory workers in Kediri, Java. The muted tones and measured composition evoke a sense of quiet observation. The photograph is structured through horizontal layers, from the dusty foreground to the neat hedges and the row of houses beyond. The houses are simple structures, their white walls punctuated by dark window frames and shadowed recesses, suggesting a play of light and depth. The dense trees on the right and the palms on the left act as framing devices. Note how the artist uses a semiotic system of signs to interpret the environment. The manicured lawns and uniform architecture can be interpreted as symbols of colonial order. The artist captures a moment where the order and the exotic intertwine, reflecting the complex dynamics of colonial spaces and the imposition of external structures. The photograph’s structure and tonal range invite us to consider the underlying social structures and how they shape both the landscape and its inhabitants' lives.