PHOTO: Jeroen Hofman-Island
Whether documenting the city parks of Amsterdam and Rotterdam or the Frisian islands, Jeroen Hofman has a particular method: working from up high, standing on an elevated platform. The trouble of renting a hydraulic hoist for every shoot pays off: seen from a bird’s eye view, the architecture of the parks, or the vastness and tranquility of the islands, become clearly visible.
By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Fotomuseum Den Haag Archive
Jeroen Hofman always works from a crane, some 20 metres above ground. He developed this way of working in order to visualise his fascination with the layers in landscapes. His work shows not only the banks of a river, but also how the entire riverbed meanders through the landscape, thus literally transcending what the human eye normally sees. This way of working results in photographs in which foreground and background merge, like modern dioramas. “There is a specific point above ground where you can no longer hear the people below you, and cannot touch the birds above you. That complete isolation sharpens my senses” as he says. Over the past few years Hofman has travelled repeatedly to the Frisian Islands in the northern Netherlands, erecting his crane in all kinds of weather. Jeroen Hofman is fascinated by urban dynamics. His new work, “Island”, is therefore a major new departure for him, but it is a well-considered choice, as he also regards the constant stimulation of the city as a trap for the soul. When he went to Texel to photograph some of the precious places from a loved one’s childhood, he was struck by all that the island has to offer. A calmness came over him that he had never experienced before. “I was overwhelmed by the sudden emptiness and calm. The fields of sheep, the expansive dune landscapes beautifully shaped by the tides. The rapidly changing weather. Spectacular clouds scudding across the sun, painting the landscape. Showers, gusts of wind and the smell of pine trees wafting on the salty sea air. Peace”, he writes in the book published by Hannibal to accompany the exhibition. He soon conceived a plan to photograph all five Frisian Islands, in his own unique way. Like the paintings of Dutch old masters, The series “Island” is a love letter to the landscape, rather than a tourist brochure. As he took the photographs, Hofman’s work grew increasingly abstract. The landscapes came to consist more and more of flat planes, shapes and colors, with the horizon as a fixed feature. He thus managed to capture the broad flatness of the Dutch landscape in an impressive way, in a collection that also features the occasional festival, hot day at the beach or dense woodland. “Island” gave Hofman more freedom in his work, as he did not need to wait for a particular event, or a busy day in a park, for example – subjects he had photographed in earlier work. He also explored a more abstract form of photography, the effect of the emptiness of the landscape on his mood. Each photograph was planned. Hofman often makes reference to the past, and his work often includes a nod to other artists. Yet nothing is staged. Standing up there on the crane, he patiently waits for the perfect photograph. Taking the time to create an image allows everything to come together in a single unique moment.
Photo: Jeroen Hofman, from the series “Island”, 2018-22, © Jeroen Hofman, courtesy the artist and Fotomuseum Den Haag
Info: Fotomuseum Den Haag, Stadhouderslaan 43, Den Haag, The Netherlands, Duration: 19/3-19/6/2022, Days & Hours: Tue-Sun 11:00-17:00, www.fotomuseumdenhaag.nl
