Matrozen 1943 - 1945

This set of photographs, mounted into an album, was created by an anonymous artist. These little glimpses into a life, or lives, have been carefully placed onto the grey pages, each bordered by a delicate white, like a frame in a film reel. I’m drawn to the variety of scenes, from formal group shots to more candid moments, each telling a story that’s both specific and universal. The black and white palette gives everything a sense of timelessness, but it also flattens things, turning people into shapes, gestures. The rough edges of the photographs add a tactile quality, as if the artist wanted to remind us that these are physical objects, traces of moments lived. Take the image of the soldiers gathered together. The contrast is stark, but look closer and you can see the details in their uniforms, the way they stand, their expressions. It’s a portrait of a time, of a generation, but it’s also a study in light and shadow, in the way we see and remember. This reminds me of Gerhard Richter's photo paintings, the way he blurs the line between photography and painting, reality and memory. It is open to interpretation. It’s about feeling, about being present.