Duitse soldaat op straat Possibly 1940 - 1945

This tiny photograph, of a German soldier on a street, was made by an anonymous artist. The grayscale is interesting here - no colour, only tone, and therefore only value and composition to fall back on. I find myself drawn to the lower left corner, where the shadow of the car mirrors the silhouette of the soldier. The shadow makes the car appear weighty and grounded, in contrast to the figure in the street, who stands apart from the vehicles and building behind him. It’s interesting how the artist chose to frame this shot, leaving such large areas of empty street visible. This serves to isolate the soldier, but it also opens up the possibility of other interpretations and readings - we might start to imagine our own stories or scenarios taking place there. This photograph reminds me of the painter Gerhard Richter, specifically his explorations into the aesthetics of the everyday. He, too, finds ways to embrace ambiguity.