Picture this: Rotterdam street art photography and the people behind its lens

Abstract

"In Rotterdam, there is always a building being torn down for another to rise. Change is the only constant. No wonder graffiti and street art are so popular here. A temporary form of art by nature, it demands that the viewer gives it their attention in the here and now. These works can only exist within the context of their surroundings. The artists know this. And this is where certain photographers enter the story. It is impossible to imagine what modern graffiti and street art would be without their efforts in documenting it. The degrees to which artists are able to emotionally detach themselves from a finished work may vary, but the first step towards accepting its impermanence - and, as such, perhaps the final step in its creation as well - is a practically universal one: knowing that a good picture has been taken. Martine Kiers, Herman Roelofs, Ben Melger and MJay, four photographers essential to Rotterdam's graffiti and street art culture, were asked to select the most inspiring, interesting and illuminating images from their work within the city. These are those images. This is their story."-- Provided by publisher.