Interview with Dutch photographer Jouk Oosterhof, responsible for sublimate reality
In the 1990s, we used to find information in waste containers. Now we find them in email inboxes. Amongst piles of spam, newsletter, open days, look books and save the dates, I found a picture that hypnotized me. I wanted to see more. The return address said Jouk Oosterhof, Dutch photographer. “If I included you in my newsletter it will be for some reason, although I sincerely don’t remember why.”
The first photo of yours that I saw was a portrait, ‘My Muse’, selected for the London National Portrait Gallery’s Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize in 2015. Did this event take your professional career to the next level? It was the first time that I took part in a competition and it was only after the nomination that I became aware of the impact. I lot of people in the industry saw the exhibition and it definitely echoed. However, what takes me to the next level is always investing time in new projects and doing personal work.
————————————–
Above: Photography: Jouk Oosterhof / Stylism: Analik Brouwer / Hair & Make Up: Yvonne Nusdorfer @ Angelique Hoorn Management / Model: Féline @ Paparazzi Model Management
————————————–
————————————–
Above: Photography: Jouk Oosterhof / Stylism: Analik Brouwer / Hair & Make Up: Yvonne Nusdorfer @ Angelique Hoorn Management / Model: Féline @ Paparazzi Model Management
————————————–
You have won other photography prizes. Do they make your clients respect your criteria more? There are always clients that value you more if you have won some recognised prize but I’m not necessarily looking for these types of clients. Competitions are a way of increasing your audience, something that I use in the search for new meetings with clients who like you for your style.
You are forty two and you have been working as a professional for fifteen years. What was your education like? I studied at The Hague and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. While I studied, I worked as an assistant for two photographers, as an apprentice. One of them was John Midgley. I admired his form of work, which is important when you are working as somebody’s assistant. After graduating, I worked with him as his assistant. At that time he was based in Amsterdam but he also worked in New York and London.
————————————–
Above: Photography: Jouk Oosterhof / Stylims: Analik Brouwer / Hair & Make Up: Jennifer Mackintosh @ NCL Representation / Model: Elve Lijbaart /Localización: Bituman
————————————–
What advice would you give to young photographers who want to dedicate themselves professionally to photography? My short version of this answer would be to listen to yourself while you develop your own personal style. The more loyal you are to yourself, the more unique and irreplaceable is your work.
You have been nominated for the Dutch Photography prize several times. Do you think that there is a Dutch current in photography at the moment? I think that every country has their own style. With a lot of exceptions of course. Dutch photography is generally more raw, dry or calm.
What influences you? I’m inspired by everything around me. Cinema, art, everyday life. My taste is become ever-more defined and I use it a lot more consciously now than before. Both in the way in which I use colours as the way in which I capture people.
————————————–
Arriba: Fotografía: Jouk Oosterhof / Estilismo: Analik Brouwer / Pelo & Maquillaje: Jennifer Mackintosh @ NCL Representation / Modelo: Elve Lijbaart /Localización: Bituman
————————————–
Your work has been defined as ‘sublimated reality’ with a dose of irony. How would you define it? Yes, in my photos you’ll see everyday ingredients from real life but they are presented in a way that is not real. Somehow I sculpt the reality that is there, a simple table, a cup of coffee, an old curtain, but with the light and form that I have consciously adapted for the staging, which does not belong to reality. And yes, I can be ironic. I would define my work as sublimated reality, stately and quiet.
The person in ‘My Muse’ appears repeatedly in your work, he’s called André, right? Who is he? He was my neighbour. I lived in the upstairs flat. We always used to meet on the stairs, sometimes we would chat and sometimes we would call on each other for a quick chat, for example, or to drink a cup of coffee. One day he knocked on my door to ask if I could turn the music down. I think that he was annoyed but the expression on his face was always the same. At this moment I thought about using him as a model. This was fifteen years ago. He works in IT for the bank. He also liked bowling and board games. Now he’s retired and in a relationship with his downstairs neighbour. He is somebody who is always loyal to himself. He inspires me with his special beauty.
————————————–
Above: Photography: Jouk Oosterhof / Stylism: Analik Brouwer / Unit C.M.A. / Hair & Make Up: Patricia van Heumen / Angelique Hoorn management BV /Special Thanks: Location Search
————————————–
What do you do more of, personal or commercial work? For many years I mainly worked for clients. However, in the last two years that has changed. Now I feel much more of a need to do personal work. This balance can vary, but I has always enjoyed balancing editorial projects with commercial and personal work. The results are always different and it keeps you on your toes.
One of your traits is that you construct images with great care. Can you exercise the same amount of control when, for example, you are working on a portrait for a magazine? I always work in the same way, not just for my personal work. When I do, for example, a portrait for a magazine I tend to receive different responses. There are people who love it and there are people who find it uncomfortable. The biggest limitation can be when somebody doesn’t understand that every photographer works in a different way and does not want to give the collaboration their all.
Do you give a magazine various options to publish or just one? I tend to give them additional images but only when I am agree with the main selection. There are times when I only give them one option.
What can make you angry when you see a published photo? When they have cropped a photo without asking me, this annoys me. It is also annoying when the credits are displayed incorrectly, which can sometimes happen. Also when the layout and design don’t suit the photographs. The fact is that it is something about which I can have an opinion but in the end it isn’t my responsibility.
————————————–
Above: Photography: Jouk Oosterhof / Stylism: Analik Brouwer / Model: André Vossen
————————————–
Do you have complete freedom when you work with magazines? Normally I have freedom to visualise my own idea of the form that I want. Magazines also help you to develop your style. Sometimes they also risk it and give you carte blanche with the photography.
And when you do commercial work? I tend to have quite a lot of freedom in most cases, but sometimes you get none. Since the economic crisis there has been a lot of pressure. Clients want to play it safe, they are scared of standing out.
Where do you prefer to shoot? On set, outside, locations, etc? My favourite locations are lived-in houses, with a lot of years in the walls. I love wallpaper, rugs…
Do you do any retouching yourself? I always work on the post-production with my own retoucher. Jan Hibma. He’s great.
————————————–
Above: Photography: Jouk Oosterhof / Stylism: Analik Brouwer / Model: André Vossen
————————————–
Have you considered entering the art world? I’ve taken part in the odd collective exhibition when I’ve been asked to, but I’ve never considered the world of art as a photographer. Having said that, since I have been doing so much personal work recently I am considering it.
To be a professional photographer is it indispensable to have an agent? Not in Amsterdam because Holland is a small country. Here, photographers obtain their own clients. However, in London, Paris and Milan it is very important to have one. I have been with two agents in Amsterdam: Edson Williams, who is also in London, and Sticky Stuff. Also with Terrie Tanaka in London. My Italian agent is Multisrl.it. Now I also work with a ‘freelance producer’, which is ideal. She’s called Julia Llamas, from Spain.
Do you have any plans to leave Amsterdam to internationalise your work? No, I like living here and from Amsterdam I can easily travel anywhere.
What are your professional plans? My main aim is to continue growing.
Which photographer would you recommend for our next portfolio? Mirka Laura Severa.
———————————-
http://www.joukoosterhof.nl
———————————-
————————————–
Above: Photography: Jouk Oosterhof / Stylism: Analik Brouwer / Model: André Vossen
————————————–
————————————–
Above: Photography: Jouk Oosterhof / Stylism: Analik Brouwer / Hair & Make Up: Mylene Janssen @ Angelique Hoorn Management / Model: Fee
————————————–
————————————–
Above: Photography: Jouk Oosterhof / Stylism: Analik Brouwer / Hair & Make Up: Mylene Janssen @ Angelique Hoorn Management / Model: Fee
————————————–
————————————–
Above: Photography: Jouk Oosterhof / Stylism: Analik Brouwer / Hair & Make Up: Mylene Janssen @ Angelique Hoorn Management / Model: Susanne /Location: Davoud
————————————–
