Oorlogsschade en neergestorte vliegtuigen, 1940 1940

This photo album page showing the ravages of war, was made in 1940 by an anonymous photographer using black and white film. The grey tones create a formal, almost detached record, yet there's an undeniable emotional depth. Look at the central image, the 'bombenschaden'. The stark contrast between the ruined building and the surrounding debris is like a physical manifestation of trauma. The texture is another thing. The matte surface of the photograph gives a tactile quality, as if you could reach out and touch the rubble. It reminds me a bit of Gerhard Richter's blurred photos, that sense of history being both present and just out of reach. You can almost smell the dust and smoke. It's a reminder that art, even in its most documentary form, is always a conversation, an ongoing dialogue about what it means to be human.