Nederlandse troepen trekken zich terug uit Jogyakarta 1947

This photograph, of Dutch troops withdrawing from Jogyakarta, was captured by the Associated Press. It’s an image documenting a moment, where we might ask, what does it mean to record, to capture, to frame? Look at the surface. The darks and lights seem to shift and slide, which gives the image a slightly unreal feel, despite it being a photo. The soldiers are crammed into these trucks, right up against each other. The darks are so inky, you can see all this detail in the treads of the tires, and in the wood grain, yet the soldiers are more or less a mass, anonymous. The value seems to flatten them. I’m reminded of Weegee, a street photographer known for his stark black and white images of urban life, which also play with light and shadow to create a sense of drama and urgency. Like so much art, this photo makes you think, it opens a space.