W.F. Hermans: vrij belangrijke foto's

Abstract

Willem Frederik Hermans (1921-1995) is considered one of the most important Dutch writers, but he was also a physical geographer and photographer. He initially practiced photography as a hobby, out of boredom, or when his other work was not progressing, but it grew into a passion that never let go of him. In 1957, when his novel The Darkroom of Damokles was not going well, he seriously considered retraining as a photographer. He measured the company name 'Persfotobedrijf W.F. Hermans' and was apprenticed to Nico Jesse, from whom he also took over an old Leica. With that, he started shooting fanatically. Eventually, the Leica got a key role in his novel. Hermans' photos are permeated with the writer's vision and the intense gaze of the geologist, who recognizes the underlying structures in every landscape and observes that everything is irrevocably dominated by decay. But in addition to the images of neglected houses and peeling posters, a softer subject also stands out. Hermans photographed many people, just on the street, and a striking number of children. And last but not least, very often themselves. The closed Hermans archive was opened once for this book. Piet Schreuders and Bram Oostveen made a new selection from over five thousand black-and-white photos and ten thousand color slides. It is the first publication of photos that Hermans did not compile himself. Most of the images shown here have never been published before. Exhibition: Photo Museum, The Hague, The Netherlands (20.08.2022 - 08.01.2023).