Sachgebiete

Beschreibung:

70 S.; Illustr.; qu.-23 cm. Originalhardcover.

Bemerkung:

Gutes Ex. - Englisch; niederländisch. // THE PHOTOGRAPHS of my close friend and colleague Wim van Ophem frequendy elicit strong emotions in the viewers. One thing can be said for certain: he is not afraid of raising a controversial theme in his work. It seems that death and old age are subjects people prefer not to be confronted with. But death as a theme in art. literature or film is a tried- and-tested theme that regularly crops up. However, it is usually highlighted in the shape of heroic death or else by choosing death because of unrequited love: death smothered by a concoction of romanticism. The tragic and untimely death of figures like Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain are examples we can find in contemporary pop culture, and literature abounds with as many others. Take the famous story by Goethe, where the young Werther takes his own life because he cannot love Lotte for she is betrothed to another man. When my grandfather ended up in hospital a few years ago after suffering a fatal fall, and was pronounced 'brain dead', I was forced to witness life's fleetingness with my own eyes. The irreversible and frightening speed with which my grandad withered away left me powerless and sad. This is why Wim van Ophem's work left a deep impression on me. He shows old age, illness and death in all its naked truth. A truth we are all aware of deep down, one we all behold and sooner or later fall prey to. This is what he seems to be saying to the viewer. In a world awash with success stories and eternal youth, where we are willing to go to great lengths to hang on to our youth, Van Ophem's story is almost telling us the opposite. (Arthur Crucq) ISBN 905973033X