In March 2009 I was honored to be the guest editor of Dutch magazine Creatie.
The theme I created, was: Change, crisis, and the anti-theme, a collage. These are the spreads of the Crisis section, with a selection of photographers I deeply admire.

Different crisis, different photos, same emotions and challenges.

All collages are by me with books and magazines from my own collection.
Click on the images to read the original Dutch text. An English translation is in the caption.

This is the introduction spread of the crisis section which was about the financial crisis then with newspaper clippings from Dutch and international newpapers.

Now: The words are the same, the graphics are the same, different photos, same emergency!

‘You hear bankers and politicians say: We have not been able to predict this’ But as you look at the madness… You can imagine that something might go wrong. The monumental work of 1,86×2,42 m transcends the daily newspaper photo.’

‘The supberb book A Sense of Common Ground by photographer Fazal Sheikh. He was one of the few photographers who captured the human crisis in a very special way. Quite formal but with compassion and on Polaroid material. In the 90’s he travelled to many fugitive camps in the Sahel, later to Afghanistan, India and Brasil. How he managed to fixate and rinse his negatives in these hard conditions remains a mystery to me.’

Now: Different crisis, different photos, same emergency!

‘In the wonderful book Versailles photographer Deborah Turbeville documents the palace in the deplorable state before the big restaurations. She wanders through the gardens, halls and depots and makes scenes with her models in a poetic and dreamy way. Blurry photos, with rough edges seem remnants from the 17th century. Together with fragments from Louis XVI’s diaries. During the two weeks before the Bastille was taken, he notes: “Nothing. Hunting. Nothing. Nothing”. In the eye of the storm of a a world in crisis there is tranquility.’

Now: The words are the same, different photos, same threat!

‘In Jean-Francois Lepage’s fashion photos, the models seem to be in a personal crisis. And perhaps also the photographer himself, who scratches, clings, pastes and staples his transparencies together and thus seems to ward off evil in a tribal way. Ein Geheimtipp.’

Now: Different crisis – different photos – same challenge and solution!