Voetbalelftal uit Curaçao arriveert in IJmuiden Possibly 1946 - 1948

This is a photograph by K. Raucamp of the Curaçao football team arriving in IJmuiden. The grey scale gives it a timeless feel, like it could be from any era, but it's also very crisp and documentary. Look at the way the players are arranged on the ship. They are all in suits and hats. It's so formal, but then there is something casual in the way they lean on the railings and look out at the shore. They seem to be balancing between performing their public personas and relaxing into themselves. The texture of the image is smooth, the tones controlled. But then you notice the ropes and the railings of the ship, that add a sense of grit and texture, a reminder of the journey they’ve undertaken. The one person peering out from the porthole is such a detail. This reminds me of the work of Dawoud Bey, particularly his street portraits. Both artists share an interest in how we present ourselves to the world. It is a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas across time.