I studied history, and subsequently photography at the St. Joost Academy of Fine Arts, where I developed a personal style and vision. One of my first commissioned assignments took me to the Middle East. There, I became aware that even something as seemingly innocent as photographing archaeological excavation sites is a loaded issue when historical narrative is part of contemporary society — an awareness that sparked a lasting fascination with the theme of landscape and memory. After graduating (BFA), I found work in the collection department of the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden (RMV), as a scan operator in the historical photo archive and assistant on cultural heritage photography assignments. I later joined a start-up in collection information technology, where I explored digital photography and contributed to imaging-workflow solutions for a wide range of 2D and 3D cultural heritage collections.
In the nineteenth century, photography gave humankind, for the first time, a mechanical and seemingly objective means of recording reality. For heritage institutions it became both a tool of documentation and a collection object in its own right. Digitisation builds on this to preserve our collective memory and make it accessible. By making collections visible and opening them up to new technologies and audiences, digitisation creates immense social value. I am fortunate to have unique insight into their origins, yet the people who digitise these collections generally remain invisible.
This tension—between the original object and its reproduction, between the image as a placeholder for metadata and as a medium for personal interpretation—has shaped my vision and artistic development in fine-art photography. Documentary photography underlines the defining qualities of the medium while showing that objectivity is never absolute. Because the maker’s choices and perspective inevitably become part of the image, the documentary photographer faces a dilemma: he wants to record reality faithfully, yet cannot switch off his own point of view. This is precisely what makes photography more than mere registration and places it within the visual arts.
I eventually left my full-time role as project coordinator for cultural heritage photography to pursue my own projects as a documentary photographer, building a diverse practice in applied editorial heritage photography.
My commissioned projects, exhibitions and self-published books have been realised with the generous support of Dutch and international funds. Earlier work was exhibited at the International Photo Festival SESC Pompeia, São Paulo, Brazil; at Noorderlicht’s “Human Conditions” (2009); and in the exhibition “Young (in) Serbia” at Melkweg Gallery, Amsterdam, and Artget Gallery, Belgrade, Serbia (2010). New perspectives emerged during the Noorderlicht Masterclass (2011/2012, Groningen). Drawing on the concept of storytelling, I have worked across various forms of publishing in documentary photography, from books and exhibitions to online digital media. In 2014, I was invited by Townhouse Cairo as an Artist in Residence, with support from the Mondriaan Fund, to research urban exploration and community engagement. Knowledge of, and insight into, cultural partnerships play an important role in realising my projects. Earlier work has received several generous grants for publishing often personal stories about society and identity in Latin America and in post-conflict regions of the Balkans. My work has been published in Dutch newspapers (NRC Next, de Volkskrant, Trouw, De Correspondent) and in (inter)national photography magazines.
The documentary photographer who seeks to give form to a socially engaged vision through personal project publications must keep pace with the spirit of the times. As the organiser of his own work, he must constantly explore new avenues: conducting preliminary research, keeping abreast of developments in visual media, and seeking potential cultural partners. The documentary photographer owes his status as an artist to the acceptance of photography as an independent discipline within the visual arts. The downside is the heavy dependence on national arts funding bodies. Their committees make the awarding of grants and, consequently, the documentary photographer’s freedom to pursue a personal artistic vision dependent on a choice between two profiles: that of the established visual artist and that of emerging talent in the visual arts. After years in which documentary photography and uncertainty about continuity had been central to my work and life, my daughter was born, and I chose to take on the role of an actively involved father.
My small-scale photography practice is based in Amsterdam. Feel free to get in touch with questions about commissioned portraiture, applied photography, and fine-art reproduction. You’re also welcome to email me to enquire about my availability for cultural heritage photography and preservation projects. My documentary photography practice is ongoing. For now, I limit my travels to online photo archives, using them for inspiration and experimentation as I explore how images can be reused in future projects.
Mark Nozeman
In the nineteenth century, photography gave humankind, for the first time, a mechanical and seemingly objective means of recording reality. For heritage institutions it became both a tool of documentation and a collection object in its own right. Digitisation builds on this to preserve our collective memory and make it accessible. By making collections visible and opening them up to new technologies and audiences, digitisation creates immense social value. I am fortunate to have unique insight into their origins, yet the people who digitise these collections generally remain invisible.
This tension—between the original object and its reproduction, between the image as a placeholder for metadata and as a medium for personal interpretation—has shaped my vision and artistic development in fine-art photography. Documentary photography underlines the defining qualities of the medium while showing that objectivity is never absolute. Because the maker’s choices and perspective inevitably become part of the image, the documentary photographer faces a dilemma: he wants to record reality faithfully, yet cannot switch off his own point of view. This is precisely what makes photography more than mere registration and places it within the visual arts.
I eventually left my full-time role as project coordinator for cultural heritage photography to pursue my own projects as a documentary photographer, building a diverse practice in applied editorial heritage photography.
My commissioned projects, exhibitions and self-published books have been realised with the generous support of Dutch and international funds. Earlier work was exhibited at the International Photo Festival SESC Pompeia, São Paulo, Brazil; at Noorderlicht’s “Human Conditions” (2009); and in the exhibition “Young (in) Serbia” at Melkweg Gallery, Amsterdam, and Artget Gallery, Belgrade, Serbia (2010). New perspectives emerged during the Noorderlicht Masterclass (2011/2012, Groningen). Drawing on the concept of storytelling, I have worked across various forms of publishing in documentary photography, from books and exhibitions to online digital media. In 2014, I was invited by Townhouse Cairo as an Artist in Residence, with support from the Mondriaan Fund, to research urban exploration and community engagement. Knowledge of, and insight into, cultural partnerships play an important role in realising my projects. Earlier work has received several generous grants for publishing often personal stories about society and identity in Latin America and in post-conflict regions of the Balkans. My work has been published in Dutch newspapers (NRC Next, de Volkskrant, Trouw, De Correspondent) and in (inter)national photography magazines.
The documentary photographer who seeks to give form to a socially engaged vision through personal project publications must keep pace with the spirit of the times. As the organiser of his own work, he must constantly explore new avenues: conducting preliminary research, keeping abreast of developments in visual media, and seeking potential cultural partners. The documentary photographer owes his status as an artist to the acceptance of photography as an independent discipline within the visual arts. The downside is the heavy dependence on national arts funding bodies. Their committees make the awarding of grants and, consequently, the documentary photographer’s freedom to pursue a personal artistic vision dependent on a choice between two profiles: that of the established visual artist and that of emerging talent in the visual arts. After years in which documentary photography and uncertainty about continuity had been central to my work and life, my daughter was born, and I chose to take on the role of an actively involved father.
My small-scale photography practice is based in Amsterdam. Feel free to get in touch with questions about commissioned portraiture, applied photography, and fine-art reproduction. You’re also welcome to email me to enquire about my availability for cultural heritage photography and preservation projects. My documentary photography practice is ongoing. For now, I limit my travels to online photo archives, using them for inspiration and experimentation as I explore how images can be reused in future projects.
Mark Nozeman