Militair 1940 - 1945

This photograph, 'Militair', by A.C. Cooper, presents a posed image of a soldier. The uniform and rifle immediately speak to the conditions of industrial production. Uniforms were churned out in vast quantities, and rifles through complex metallurgy and mechanical engineering, involving many laborers. The stark black-and-white aesthetic strips away any romanticism, highlighting the subject's functional appearance. His pose, though staged, suggests readiness. Photography itself, as a medium, is entwined with notions of mass production and consumption. The click of the shutter could capture and disseminate images widely, connecting with larger social and political themes. The photograph invites us to think about the amount of labor and material resources involved in the making of war, blurring the lines between fine art and industrial production.