(NL, 1994)
Bright coloured lights in the dark, reflections and silhouettes in a rainy city. Joep Hijwegen’s work exudes nostalgia, love, mystery and terror. For the photographer, colours each have their own emotional meaning. However, this meaning is ambiguous: there is a duality between positive and negative. For instance, blue stands for peace, but also for depression, red stands for love, but also for danger. Through the context in which Hijwegen applies colours in his work, he gives them meaning. His photographs are expressions of feelings that cannot be described with words, but can be felt through images.
Hijwegen’s photography can be described as Existential Street Photography. His work says more about himself, than about the street scenes it depicts. He started photographing as a way of coping with his fear of ‘fading away’ in the business of modern life. He felt he couldn’t connect to anyone or anything, which made him feel distant to life. With this distance, came both an appreciation of observing life, as well as a frustration of not being able to connect to it. Photographing became a way for Hijwegen to capture his alienation. It also allowed him to show his perspective to others and feel more noted and understood.
Hijwegen’s photography very quickly became not about preserving moments but about creating them. It is this powerful feeling of being able to create meaning and beauty out of randomness that drives his passion to this day.
