Schietoefening te Vlaardingen 1935 - 1945

This small black and white photograph, titled Schietoefening te Vlaardingen, captures a shooting practice in Vlaardingen. It was made by an anonymous artist. The composition, while straightforward, hints at a larger story. The scene is sparse, the details muted by the limitations of the medium. I’m drawn to the arrangement of materials, the wooden planks and bundled reeds, which sit in the foreground. The texture in this area is really the focal point, these elements create a kind of visual tension. The softness of the foliage contrasting with the hard, geometric planks. The targets in the middle ground, suggest a narrative of precision, control, and maybe even aggression. But what’s really interesting is that the photograph, with its limited tonal range, doesn’t give us any easy answers. Instead, it allows for multiple readings. Like any good artwork it’s an invitation to contemplate. It reminds me a bit of some of the early documentary photography, where the emphasis was on capturing the unvarnished truth of a situation. It’s a great reminder that art isn’t always about beauty, but about bearing witness.