Contemporary Artist: Rineke Dijkstra

Rineke Dijkstra is a Dutch photographer who decided she wanted to photograph people after she had a photo taken of her as she emerged from a swimming pool at physical therapy after she broke her hip in a bicycle accident. She became very interested in the human figure, and the vulnerability and awkwardness of the adolescent body because in the photo of her emerging from the pool, she looks as if she is in a state of near-collapse. She started capturing the time in a person’s life that is between adolescents and adulthood. This stage is an awkward time for many. The body and mind are growing so rapidly, and the individual is at their most vulnerable. This body of work was made in the 1990s and entitled “Beach Portraits”.

Rineke Dijkstra focuses on the exchange between photographer and subject, and viewer and viewed. Her photographs show the viewer the physical exhaustion of the adolescent body, and convey the self-conscious awkwardness of early adulthood. The subjects are in a flux between confidence and profound insecurity. This is a great thing to photograph because everyone can relate to this on some level. When viewing her body of work, you feel a deep connection and sympathy toward the subject of the photograph.

Rineke Dijkstra mimics 17^th century Dutch paintings. The way she has the subject confront the camera is brilliant. It truly helps the viewer connect with the subject. Also the way she sets up the composition by eliminating any distractions in the background, making the person very crisp, and the background blurred is similar to the 17^th century portraits. She also photographs the entire figure, rather than the bust. She believes the full size figure, and the scale of the printed photograph is extremely important. The scale of the print is almost life-size which makes the subject even more relatable.

I personally love all of Rineke Dijkstra’s body of work, but especially the “Beach Portrait” series. The “Beach Portrait” series is relatable for me because that point in my life wasn’t all that long ago. Also, this year my brother starts his first year of high school, so he is just overcoming the awkward stage. He is fifteen years old and is 5’10” and extremely thin and lanky.  When I see Dijkstra’s photograph of the young boy in a red speedo entitled “Odessa, Ukraine”, I immediately relate that awkward boy to my little brother. The great thing about Rineke Dijkstra’s work is that there is always something for someone to relate to, whether it is the awkward adolescents, women after they give birth, clubbing, or soldiers. She definitely understands most ages and situations that people, especially women, go through.