Groepsportret 1940 - 1943

This little photograph, "Groepsportret" by an anonymous artist, captures a group of sailors, a moment frozen in time. Look closely, and you'll notice how the monochrome palette throws into sharp relief the textures and tones of the different materials at play in the image. The composition is pretty straightforward, a tightly packed group, but the slight awkwardness of the poses, especially the guy holding the accordion like he's not quite sure what to do with it, gives it an endearing quality. I'm drawn to the way the light catches the faces, each one with its own story etched in shadows and highlights. It reminds me of some of Philip Guston’s later representational paintings, where he would bring his cartoonish figures to life using heavy, almost clumsy marks. Ultimately, it's about embracing the imperfections and letting the image reveal itself through the process. It is this that makes it feel so deeply human.