Optocht Jeugdstorm Possibly 1934 - 1936

Curator: Welcome. Here we have a gelatin silver print, tentatively dated between 1934 and 1936, titled "Optocht Jeugdstorm." The image resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Brr, even just looking at it, I get this odd, chilling feeling. Something about that column of identically dressed young people, it’s… well, it’s unsettling, like a well-rehearsed nightmare. Curator: Yes, there is a certain austerity in its composition. Note how the photographer employs the receding lines of the marching group to create a sense of depth and regimentation. The sharp contrast between the dark foliage and the light uniforms is particularly striking. Editor: Regimentation, that’s the word! They are like perfectly aligned dominoes walking along the path into an endless… anything. The crisp black and white amplifies it all. Gives a heavy historical atmosphere to it all. I’m curious though, do you find some sort of rhythm or artistic meaning, aside from all the political...stuff? Curator: Formally speaking, the rhythm is achieved through the repetition of shapes – the drums, the flags, even the boys' identical outfits and marching stance. Structurally, one could examine it through the lens of social control and visual rhetoric. The arrangement of the figures serves as a visual endorsement of uniformity. Editor: See, I struggle a bit with this kind of photo. Knowing it’s connected to the NSB, a Dutch political organization, everything becomes... heavy. Still I’m sure back then these kids marched with pure faith and were maybe proud of themselves and their future plans. The contrast with how we perceive them nowadays can make your head spin. Curator: The photograph encapsulates a complex interplay between aesthetics and politics. As an object, its monochrome palette lends the scene a sense of gravitas. As a historical record, it represents a chilling chapter, doesn't it? Editor: Indeed. On second thought it is far from a nightmare—this work is more like an old wound of society caught on camera: dark, stiff, with a fading yet sharp memory.