Optocht Jeugdstorm 1935 - 1937

This photo, by J. Otto, records a youth parade - “Optocht Jeugdstorm” - we don't know when it was made, but the way the image is created, is like a historical document, capturing a moment in time. The photo is in black and white, and the grey tones create a flattening effect. Look how the column of children stretches back into space, the figures become less distinct as they recede, their forms are simplified, they merge into a pattern. It’s all about capturing the group, more than the individuals within it. Check out the flags at the front, the way they create shapes and diagonals in the foreground, those light grey triangles really pop. It's interesting to think about what the flags might have represented, how they would have felt to the children carrying them. This photo reminds me a little of some of Leni Riefenstahl's work, that documentary approach, capturing these group movements. Art is never neutral, it always reflects a point of view.