The Watch, The Baltic Fleet 1937

Yakov Khalip made this photograph, "The Watch, The Baltic Fleet," and it's a study in contrasts and surveillance. The monochrome palette lends a timeless quality, yet the image feels undeniably rooted in a specific moment. There's a real tension between the softness of the clouds and the stark, almost brutal, lines of the naval gun. My eye keeps going back to the figure of the sailor, standing guard with rifle. The gun is this dark mass, but he stands patiently in front of it like he is one piece with this whole killing machine. It reminds me a bit of some of Gerhard Richter's early black and white paintings, where he's grappling with similar themes of history, memory, and the weight of the past. Ultimately, Khalip's photograph leaves you with a sense of unease, prompting questions about power, protection, and the ever-present nature of vigilance.