Brand in Probolinggo Possibly 1947

Anefo made this photograph of a fire in Probolinggo, but we don’t know exactly when. The black and white palette is so stark, and yet there are so many tones and shades. It's amazing how much information we can get from so little. The texture and tones of the smoke really grab me. It’s this looming, heavy form, but it’s also so light and airy. Look how the smoke billows out to fill the negative space above the scene. And how it feels so close, even though it’s far away. This kind of image reminds me of Gerhard Richter’s paintings of war – that same sense of trying to make sense of the world through images, but also knowing that there's always something that will remain unclear. I think art is often about embracing that uncertainty, and finding beauty in the mess.