Emmy's World is the result of an unusual, long-term project: starting in 2009, the Dutch photographer, Hanne van der Woude took part in the lives of the aging artist couple Emmy Eerdmans and Ben Joosten. The young photographer spent an intensive time with both of the creative free spirits that have been married for over 50 years, in their home, a former school in the Dutch region of Betuwe, in the province of Gelderland. She participated in their daily lives and accompanied them with her camera. She photographed Emmy with her favourite guinea hen, Klara, while she was drawing or gathering branches in an enchanted-like garden. She portrayed Ben with his brothers as they posed boisterous and bare-chested in an old washtub. She went with the older couple on a road trip to the south of France, where Ben’s older brother Egbert had lived for a long time. She also captured very intimate moments, such as Emmy lovingly taking care of Ben during the last days of his life.
EMMY’S WORLD shows images of people that despite their age have never lost their love of life and freedom.
The focus is on the now 85 year old Emmy Eerdmans. In 2009, Hanne van der Woude met the graphic artist Ben Joosten by chance and spontaneously asked him if she could make a portrait of him. After he agreed and she went to his house, she met Emmy and was fascinated with this unconventional, self-contained, strong yet strangely enraptured woman. “I decided to decipher Emmy”, remembers van der Woude today.
The photographer approached the painter and her decelerated world with the tranquillity of an analogue camera. With insightful images, van der Woude shows a woman who lives her own life without caring what others think of it.
EMMY’S WORLD is not a photo reportage, but the result of an unusual collaboration between artists: the photographer Hanne, the painter Emmy and the graphic artist Ben. A deep bond was created between the three of them that went far beyond the project. So that it was just natural that Hanne accompanied them to the south of France and documented the rural life of Ben’s brother Egbert. “They were like a family for me and I often visited them without my camera and just spent valuable time with them”, states van der Woude.
“EMMY’S WORLD addresses a number of current social themes”, says Celina Lunsford, artistic director of the Fotografie Forum Frankfurt.
“These include growing older, maintaining the zest for life and creativity in old age, independence, caring, intimate relationships and also this friendship between generations.”
“EMMY’S WORLD is unique, but also very familiar. The photographs and films show a woman living her own
life, little occupied with what others might think of it,
as documented by the empathic eyes of a photographer who became part of that life. Emmy occupies a position in society that is by no means selfevident.”
Nanda VAN DEN BERG – Artistic Director Huis Marseille, Museum for Photography
France _ Roadtrip _ Holiday day 10
Film from video installation Emmy's World
Étang de La Capelle, France _ Swimming in lake _ Holiday day 9
Film from video installation Emmy's World
Corbère, France _ Ben en Emmy _ Swimming in brook II _ Holiday day 7
Film from video installation Emmy's World
Dodewaard _ Emmy _ Sleeping over day 4
Film from video installation Emmy's World
The exhibition Emmy’s World premiered in 2015 in Huis Marseille, Museum for Photography. Since then the exhibition has travelled from Frankfurt to Japan. All photographs of the exhibition, 41 in total, have been produced to museum standards, as colour c-prints from analogue slides and digital footage (including two light boxes).
Click here to see more exhibition shots.
Together with the opening of exhibition in Huis Marseille the book Vivace was launched. The book was sold out within a month. In 2016 the book was reprinted. Unfortunately the second print is about to be sold out as well.
Vivace: 17 x 24cm; 160 pages; colour; ISBN 978-94-90119-39-3 Design: Hans Gremmen / Publisher: FW:Books
A video-installation at the heart of the exhibition contains 18 short movies presented in 18 boxes with 18 monitors and players. The design of each of the boxes allows a single view focus. Design by DNVDK
Life cycles have their seasons: just as warm sunshine makes way for icy cold, and vice versa, Emmy, Ben and Egbert’s lives were marked by alternating periods of illness, sadness, love and happiness. Well into their 80s, they undertook a long holiday journey through the south of France in a car packed to the roof with camping gear. They were accompanied by Hanne van der Woude, who had started filming in order to capture the dialogues between Emmy and Ben. The result was a huge archive of film material, a small part of which is shown in this installation.
The filmed interactions reveal the deep connection between this married couple, which for Van der Woude is the ultimate expression of love. She sees it in the scene filmed during their French holiday, in which Emmy walks into the river fully clothed, as usual. Van der Woude records their most intimate moments, such as when Egbert, his fragile body nearing death, manages to give himself a bath. But she also sees it in their enjoyment of life while on holiday: being on the road, listening to music in a French village, and swimming in a river. Van der Woude also captures magical images at Dodewaard: Emmy spreading a carpet of nuts on the heated bathroom floor, or brushing her long hair outside. Every image conveys Emmy’s inexhaustible energy and her individual way of life.
2015 Huis Marseille
The video installation Emmy's World is part of Huis Marseille's permanent collection
A video – installation at the heart of the exhibition contains 18 short movies presented in 18 boxes with 18 monitors and players. The design of each of the boxes allows a single view focus. Design by DNVDK