Militaire basis en vliegveld bij Suchon 1952 - 1959

David Ketel made this photograph of a military base and airfield, sometime in the mid-twentieth century. I see it as a painting! This print, with its cool blues and greens, makes me think about how the act of looking is so important in war time – observing, documenting, making note of troop movements. I see the artist carefully composing the scene, making sure to include all the important elements: planes, runways, buildings, and people. The composition is simple and direct, the artist isn’t trying to be fancy or clever. The colours are muted and restrained, which adds to the overall sense of realism and objectivity. I get the feeling the photographer is sympathetic to the human cost of conflict. He seems like a very sensitive and thoughtful artist, aware of the power of images to shape our understanding of the world. Photography, like painting, is an act of meaning making.