Metalen sloepen 1953

This photograph, titled "Metalen sloepen" or "Metal Launches" was made by an anonymous artist. The image, in tones of grey, documents the construction of metal boats. You can almost smell the metal! The artist hasn't tried to hide anything, every bolt and beam is clearly shown. In the lower image the boat, suspended in mid air, has 'Holland' written on it. This tiny detail somehow speaks of a whole nation! It is the equivalent of an artist signing their work, it roots it in a place and time. It reminds me a little of some of the early twentieth century German photographers like August Sander or the Bechers, in its dedication to documentary detail. Ultimately, this photograph and its subject matter are a record of how we make things, how we name them, and how we show them to the world. Like art, the process is everything.