Herman Besselaar en Berti Hoppe op het strand te Texel 1931 - 1935

These three black and white photographs, by Berti Hoppe, captures Herman Besselaar and Berti Hoppe on the beach at Texel. The arrangement on a dark grey page evokes a sense of personal narrative, almost like snapshots in a family album. Consider the composition: each photograph is a carefully framed scene. The textures are rich; we see the grainy quality of the sand, the rough-hewn wood of the breakwater, and the subtle gradations of light and shadow on the figures. Hoppe uses a sharp focus to bring out the tactile qualities of these elements, but also to create a depth that destabilizes the surface. The horizon line is an important structural element in each photograph; the use of a horizon creates a play between the figures and the vastness of the sea. In essence, these photographs capture a moment in time, but they also invite reflection on the formal properties of photography itself. They are a cultural artifact, and a philosophical exploration of the nature of perception and representation.