Vloot schepen van de Kriegsmarine 1940 - 1943

This photograph, "Vloot schepen van de Kriegsmarine," found in the Rijksmuseum, captures a fleet of warships in monochrome. The image is softly focused, creating a misty atmosphere that obscures the details of the ships and emphasizes the vastness of the sea. Look at the way the sea foam contrasts against the dark water. It’s all about the tone, rather than any clear outline, the artist has clearly used that understanding to convey the scene. The photograph has been torn, leaving a rough edge that disrupts the scene. This material detail is significant; it adds a layer of texture and invites a closer look at the photograph as object. The image reminds me of the seascapes of Gerhard Richter – of course, Richter makes paintings, not photographs, but both artists are interested in blurring the boundary between representation and abstraction, and both allow the materiality of their medium to inform the emotional impact of their work. Ultimately, it's about how we see, and how art can embrace multiple viewpoints simultaneously.