Maarten van Schaik

I feel a strong attraction to the idea of anonymity and independence. As I navigate the world of my work, I seek invisibility—a state in which I can erase myself in order to capture what others, preoccupied with their daily routines, fail to notice. My work is not concerned with factual documentation. I feel more aligned with the free flow of painting and music. The subjects and figures that wander through my photographs reveal an elusive reality—a world where the boundary between dream and reality constantly shifts, and where time itself dissolves.

In the creative process, I weave together my own physical and digital road-trip photography, portrait photography, and fragments from old Creative Commons films into an initial image. I print this very small on ordinary copy paper, so that the subtle imperfections in the ink distribution become visible. This creates a distinctive grain, reminiscent of an 8mm film strip. On this image, I apply pastels and various paints and inks to enhance the sense of estrangement and surrealism I seek. Ultimately, I produce a full-frame reproduction, so that the work becomes a photograph once again.