Parade te Batavia. Afgenomen door Lt. Gouv. Gen. v. Mook 1946 - 1948

This photograph entitled ‘Parade te Batavia’ was taken by Sergeant Major Theunissen. I always feel a slight sense of the uncanny when looking at photographs like this. The frozen moment, the grainy monochrome, it gives an unsettling sense of something that once was. The eye is drawn to the textured surface of the print, and the way that light and shadow play across the figures, which are captured mid-motion. The soldiers in formation, evoke the mechanical rhythm of their march, a kind of dance, a choreography of power. The stark contrast between the dark uniforms and the light-colored ground emphasizes the strict formality of the parade. It reminds me of Muybridge's motion studies, but instead of the dynamism of an individual figure, we see the collective force of the military machine. Thinking about the history of photography, it's often about capturing a certain kind of truth, but it is always mediated and interpreted. Photography, like painting, involves a process of selection and framing. It's a conversation between the artist, the subject, and the viewer.