Groepsfoto detachement Sanggau, 1950 Possibly 1950 - 1959

This group photograph of the Sanggau detachment was taken in 1950 by Sergeant Major Theunissen. It's a black and white image with a formality to it, yet it shows a group of people together, perhaps after a shared experience. I find myself wondering about Theunissen, about his mindset and process. As a sergeant major, he probably wasn’t a fine artist, just a person who happened to be taking a photo, on the spot. This means the image is probably more spontaneous than posed, more truthful than contrived. In a way, that’s the essence of painting too. The picture is of a group of soldiers. Theunissen captured them as they were, in that moment, and this photograph is a slice of life, with all its rawness and imperfections. It's like when you make a painting, and you just go for it, without overthinking. Sometimes the best art comes from that kind of directness and immediacy. Think of all the painters who’ve inspired each other over time. It's an ongoing conversation, where each one adds something new and personal to the mix, and this photograph is part of the mix too.