Hoofdkwartier Grüne Polizei Possibly 1940 - 1945

This scrapbook page, made during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, pulls together pictures and text that attempt to document and describe the events. The stark black and white photography has a documentary feel, but the collage of elements suggests something more personal, more handmade. I keep coming back to the handwritten note, pinned over one of the photographs. “Replace this picture with blow-ups from 8mm film – clips of German para landing a clearing of Meuse River.” It’s a reminder that even documentary images are constructed, carefully chosen, and framed. This note is especially striking, as it highlights the tension between objective record and subjective perspective. The rough edges and the haphazard arrangement of elements give the piece an immediacy and vulnerability that is so powerful. It's as if the maker is saying, “This is what happened, this is how it felt.” Think of Martha Rosler’s photomontages, which similarly appropriate existing images to create works of powerful political and emotional resonance. Art making is often an ongoing process of questioning, revision, and reinterpretation.