Hitlerjugend album 1935 - 1938

This “Hitlerjugend album” was made anonymously, probably in Germany, with paper, string, and a green cloth binding. Its mottled cover reminds me of working with thin washes of acrylic, where the color is allowed to settle and pool in unpredictable ways, creating its own map-like surface. I find myself drawn to the materiality of this object, particularly the contrast between the rough, absorbent quality of the cover and the smooth, almost austere green of the binding. The string, tied through metal eyelets, looks functional and homespun. There’s a vulnerability here, a directness, that speaks to the album's intended use as a repository for personal memories and experiences, although obviously tainted by the cultural context. It reminds me of a Joseph Beuys multiple, something like a felt suitcase or a humble object imbued with profound historical weight. The album stands as a testament to the complex and often contradictory nature of art, history, and memory.