2024-11-10 14:20:00
Dutch photographer Rineke Dijkstra has become known for her series of portraits of children and young people. When viewed from today’s perspective, they can create disturbing feelings. But this only distracts from the special quality of the images.
Do you also feel a disturbing feeling when you look at this image? A shot by Dutch photographer Rineke Dijkstra. We see seven girls in swimsuits on the Baltic Sea beach. The photography is sharp, right down to the details of the bikinis and the bruises on the shins. We feel uncomfortable. As if forced into the role of a voyeur who now scrutinizes minors with his gaze. The image seems completely out of time.
Rineke Dijkstra rose to fame with her “Beach Portraits” series. He took this photo on July 25, 1992 in Kolobrzeg, Poland. What we can consider distanced after the discourses on identity politics of the last decades and through the lens of today’s awareness was the opposite 32 years ago: accessible, sensitive, respectful, grateful.
Even if the girls were not at ease, they certainly posed in front of the camera, seeking individual and group support, poise and stable pose. You are shy, skeptical, but at the same time confident. They still don’t show the facial expressions learned from thousands of selfies. They have a real expression. Identity. And Dijkstra encouraged girls to truly “empower” themselves for this image.
Beach portraits and video installations
There are also photos of boys, of teenage men and women, of young mothers and bullfighters of more or less the same age, of frequenters of isolated clubs and half families. This is currently demonstrated by the panoramic exhibitions at the Berlinische Galerie, the State Museum of Modern Art, Photography and Architecture Berlin and in the Max Hetzler Shopping Gallery. The Städel Museum in Frankfurt am Main is preparing an exhibition that will focus on Rineke Dijkstra’s beach portraits starting in mid-December 2024.
Identity is the central theme of each of his series. Almerisa Sehric was five years old when she first met the photographer. The girl had just arrived in the Netherlands from Bosnia as a refugee. She poses for Dijkstra in her most beautiful dress, a white blouse, with a red bow tied around her neck. He has already surpassed the dancers. His facial expressions and gaze are calm and attentive, as is the case with many children of this age who pose for a portrait photographer for the first time. Usually we don’t see each other again after that.
Even today, though, Dijkstra visits Almerisa every year or two and photographs her where she currently lives and keeps the setting the same: sitting on a chair in front of a neutral background, on March 14, 1994 it was the center for asylum seekers in Leiden. Almerisa grows up, reaches puberty, poses as a young woman in front of the photographer, with a child on her lap, like a confident woman who has also learned to present herself in front of the camera.
Clothes make the man
The “Olivier” portrait series shows him in the first two photos. We see a young man with a black t-shirt and a messy hairstyle. In the adjacent photo, his hair is cut short and he is wearing a military camouflage shirt.
But, and this is the surprising thing, the facial expression is still identical, a mixture of slight insecurity and youthful arrogance. Olivier entered the service of the French Foreign Legion, in the following photos he poses with war paint on his face, in parade uniform, like a simple soldier. Personality and function seem
Also impressive is the room of the Berlinische Galerie, in which mothers with their newborn babies in their arms, naked and still marked by the hardships of childbirth, meet the young Portuguese bullfighters, with their clothes tattered and stained with blood. How do emotions shape identity? In 1994 and 2000, Rineke Dijkstra sought to find answers to these questions through the expression of her models – without the #motherlyregret or #notauromaquia activism that one would expect today.
Dijkstra doesn’t just take photographs. He is also successful in his method of approaching young people, in particular by using the medium of moving images. For a three-channel video installation, he observed English schoolchildren (in seemingly de-individualized uniforms) looking at the painting “Weeping Woman.”
Today one would probably ask suggestively: what does this do to you? Dijkstra observed how children look at a picture, how they behave, what they say. “The child doesn’t pose, he forgets about himself, he focuses on observation,” he explained in an interview his work, which also includes photographs of children attempting to copy the painting. “The message for us as viewers is to see something that we overlook in everyday life.”
The “Beach Portriats,” which have made Rineke Dijkstra one of the most renowned portrait photographers today, focus on the role of the spectator and the observed, the special form of visual communication between photographer, model and audience. Dijkstra took photographs in Poland, Ukraine and Long Island. On July 26, 1992 he once again made an iconic portrait on Kołobrzeg beach. There is a girl in a light green bathing suit, half wet, the sky has clouded over and it seems that dusk is about to set.
Dijkstra’s photographic lamp is aimed at the girl and she stands there like Botticelli’s “Venus”, in perfect contrast with one standing leg and one free leg, with a curved S-shaped figure and a tilted head. Did the girl know about the famous Renaissance goddess born from foam? Or he involuntarily assumed the pose that is part of the ideal of beauty in the history of European art. Here (without disturbing feelings) identity and self-representation, vision of images and contemplative knowledge fall into one.
“Rineke Dijkstra. Stationary – Moving. Portraits 1992 – 2024“until 10 February 2025, Berlinische Galerie, Berlin; “Rineke Dijkstra”until 20 December 2024, Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin
Interview between Time.news Editor and Photography Expert on Rineke Dijkstra’s Work
Editor: Welcome to Time.news. Today, we’re exploring the captivating world of portrait photography, specifically the work of Dutch photographer Rineke Dijkstra, whose series of portraits of children and young people have stirred quite a conversation. To delve deeper into her impact and the perspectives surrounding her work, we have an expert in contemporary photography, Dr. Sarah Klein, joining us today. Welcome, Dr. Klein!
Dr. Klein: Thank you for having me. I’m excited to discuss Rineke Dijkstra’s remarkable contributions to the field.
Editor: Dijkstra’s “Beach Portraits” series has garnered attention for its raw honesty and distinct approach to youth identity. What are your initial thoughts on how her work stands out in contemporary photography?
Dr. Klein: Dijkstra’s work is exceptional because it captures the transitional phases of childhood and adolescence with such authenticity. The “Beach Portraits,” taken in Kolobrzeg, Poland, showcase young girls in swimsuits, but it’s not just about what they wear; it’s about the complexity of their expressions and the candidness of their poses. In an age dominated by curated social media images, her photographs remind us of the unfiltered nature of youth.
Editor: The article mentions that viewing these images today can evoke feelings of discomfort. How do you interpret this reaction in the context of current discussions on identity, especially concerning minors?
Dr. Klein: Today’s audience grapples with heightened sensitivities around privacy and the portrayal of minors. The feelings of discomfort stem from our contemporary lens and the implications of voyeurism. However, it’s essential to consider the context in which Dijkstra was photographing. In the early ’90s, her approach was groundbreaking, attempting to represent children’s identities with respect and dignity. This duality—acknowledging both the nostalgic and unsettling feelings her work elicits—opens up a broader conversation about how identity and societal norms evolve.
Editor: Dijkstra not only captures moments in time but also revisits her subjects over the years, as shown in her ongoing relationship with Almerisa Sehric. What does this approach add to the narrative of identity in her photography?
Dr. Klein: Dijkstra’s commitment to returning to her subjects highlights the idea of evolving identity—growth that’s documented through her lens. Each portrait tells a story of transformation, from childhood to adulthood, and this ongoing dialogue between the photographer and her subjects enriches the visual narrative. It underscores the personal connections behind the art and illustrates how identity is not static; it continually reshapes itself with experiences.
Editor: You’ve pointed out the emotional dimensions of her photography. How do you think Dijkstra’s method of engagement differs from that of many contemporary photographers?
Dr. Klein: Dijkstra emphasizes genuine interaction with her subjects, encouraging them to express themselves authentically rather than merely posing for the camera. In her projects, she observes the daring and the introspective sides of youth—qualities that are tragically often masked in today’s photography culture. By fostering a safe environment for her subjects, she enables a level of vulnerability that results in more profound, meaningful imagery.
Editor: One last question—how do you see Dijkstra’s work influencing future generations of photographers?
Dr. Klein: Dijkstra’s work will undoubtedly inspire future photographers to prioritize narrative depth and emotional resonance in their projects. By depicting subjects in an honest and respectful light, she sets a standard for how photographers can approach their craft. She challenges emerging artists to think critically about the relationships they build with their subjects and the stories they choose to tell through their lenses. Her legacy lies not just in the photographs themselves, but in the conversations they inspire.
Editor: Thank you, Dr. Klein, for sharing your insights with us today. Dijkstra’s photography sparks essential dialogues about identity and representation that resonate in our visual culture.
Dr. Klein: Thank you for having me. It’s been a pleasure to discuss such an impactful artist.
