I often wonder why places are so much lovelier when I’m alone.
Society tells you: "It's cozier together." The stage is set. Solititude seems almost a taboo subject. "Oh really, you're going by yourself?" Such behavior often has a negative association .The meaning of the word 'solitude', according to the Dutch dictionary van Dale is 'without company'. This is the content I’m referring to. My project 'The Bluebells Beside Us Unnoticed' (2015-2019) is a layered series of photos in which I have recorded my path to (self) acceptance. I’m a loner, an einzelgänger, always have been, not acted like one for a long time, because I wanted to fit in. This is my take on solitude. It reassures me.
It’s a meditation on the beauty of life reflected through careful attention on a simple object, interior, or street portraits. By focusing carefully, I get a grip on life. By photographing what fascinates me, I accept myself as I am. At that moment I feel no restrictions or fear. The search for and recognition of my identity is what I photograph. As Albert Einstein once said, “I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.” I’m discovering that aspect of my own life.
I project my self-chosen solitude on what I photograph, on scenes which tell a story of their own. When I address someone with the question of photographing them, I limit our contact to a minimum and isolate my subjects in their thoughts. I want to wonder; wonder what goes on behind the appearance. The non-committal nature of the first meeting is what I love the most. The urge to experience my own imagination exceeds the need for long-term human contact. Space for imagination is all I need.