all photos this page Bart van Damme
Van Damme explains that ‘though personally I loathe coal as an energy source there are few things so beautiful as a mountain of coal catching the light. In other words, aesthetics over politics. I’m trying create art out of these landscapes, not illustrations to dress up a political or other message. A message may be there, but always layered and never too obvious.’ This is a distinct sensibility that is perhaps defined by the Dutch context of the work and van Damme’s approach in particular. Maasvlakte has been designed as a centre to distribute goods to the western world through a massive transformation of the landscape. At the same time it is also a defence against the rising seas in a time of global climate change, a recreational destination and a conservation area that preserves nesting areas and the sustainability of the fishing industry. The tension in, and ultimately my attraction to, van Damme’s work lies in the same tension I first experienced of the North Sea. This is a landscape perched between fortune and doom. It walks the line between western consumerism with its vanities of ‘bigness’ and an environmental sensibility necessary to sustain Dutch culture that will hopefully prevent misfortune. When I look at the clear blue skies in the overwhelming majority of the images, I can’t help but recall the darkness that can also gather. c
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More of Bart van Damme’s work can be seen at www.studiovandamme.com
The photographs of the Maasvlakte project are published in the book Maasvlakte I & II available from Blurb at //bit.ly/111i9Aa
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