Klaas Kleiterp en zijn kinderen Tiny en Klaas bij een huis Monterado op Borneo 1924 - 1927

This small photograph shows Klaas Kleiterp and his two children, Tiny and Klaas, standing in front of a house called Monterado on Borneo. It’s amazing to think about the artist, Kleas (I) Kleiterp, holding the camera, staging his children and his house, on that day. I wonder what he was thinking about, living far away from home. Did he imagine that this moment will be recorded forever? Did he imagine that we’d be looking at it now? There is something endearing about this image. Even though it’s a simple shot, it captures a certain mood. The light is flat. The house is not beautiful. The children are looking grumpy. And the father looks slightly awkward. But the photograph’s imperfections are what make it real. It speaks to the oddness and beauty of life. To the strange mix of ordinary and extraordinary moments that make up a life. All art, from photography to painting, is about taking a leap, trusting your instincts, and finding something unexpected along the way.