Ed van der Elsken

Ed van der Elsken was a unique figure. The first true Dutch street photographer, he roamed cities like Paris, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and Tokyo seeking out colourful personalities, head-turning young women and wayward youth. Ed van der Elsken both chronicled, and influenced, the Zeitgeist. In his work, he developed a bold, unconventional and personal style. Van der Elsken’s presence resonates throughout his work: he cared about making a personal connection with the people he photographed and, like a playful art director, often staged situations, too.

The oeuvre of Ed van der Elsken is mentioned in the same breath as those of legendary international photographers Robert Frank (1924, CH) and William Klein (1928, VS) and his legacy inspires contemporary artists such as Nan Goldin (1953, US) and Paulien Oltheten (1982, NL).

BREAKTHROUGH

In 1956, the young Van der Elsken became an international sensation with Love on the Left Bank, a photographic novel inspired by his own life about a group of young bohemians leading an aimless life in post-war Paris. Van der Elsken recognised himself in their nihilistic view of the world but also maintained the detachment needed to capture them in pictures. The filmic structure of the book, with flashbacks and ever-changing viewpoints, hints at the filmmaker Van der Elsken would become.

PHOTO BOOKS

More than twenty photo books were to follow, including Bagara (1958), which records impressions of village life, big game hunting, and rituals in Central Africa, Jazz (1959), Sweet Life (1966) which captured images from his world travels, Amsterdam (1979) a document of his love for the city that was his home for many years, Adventures in the Countryside his personal account of rural Dutch life near Edam (1980) and Discovering Japan (1988), which chronicles his many trips to that country. Van der Elsken’s books, combined with his films, are the core of his oeuvre and the exhibition’s starting point. Featuring book dummies, contact sheets, sketches and other materials, the exhibition explores how the books were made, and reveals Van der Elsken’s working processes. A selection of film fragments and slide projections accentuate his significance as a filmmaker, and the relationship between his films and photographic work. At the heart of the retrospective are over 200 iconic photos, in both black and white, and colour.

VAN DER ELSKEN, SANDBERG AND THE STEDELIJK

The exhibition is curated by Hripsimé Visser, curator of photography at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, who has written widely on Ed van der Elsken, and curated numerous exhibitions of his work. The Stedelijk has followed Van der Elsken’s work since his career began in the 1950s. Sandberg also gave Van der Elsken several important commissions, such as documenting the exhibition Dylaby in 1961 – currently on view in the Tinguely survey. Today, the Stedelijk holds the largest museum collection of photographic prints by Van der Elsken. In 1966, the museum organised the major presentation ‘Hee... zie je dat!?’ and the survey exhibition ‘Once Upon A Time’, shortly after his death in 1991.

After the Stedelijk Museum the exhibition will travel to Paris (Jeu de Paume) and to Madrid (Fundación Mapfre).

Exhibition is open to visitors from Friday February 3, 2 pm.

Online timeline

For the exhibition Ed van der Elsken - Camera in Love the Stedelijk has created an online timeline. Take a journey through Ed van der Elsken's life and work in video, photos and stories here.

Public Program

FILM Feb 2017
Ed van der Elsken film nights: Camera in Love
Language: Dutch
Location: EYE Filmmuseum

• From February 2nd: De Erfenis
• Feb 10, 7.15pm: Ed van der Elsken en Amsterdam
• Feb 12, 7.15pm: Ed van der Elsken, filmende fotograaf
• Feb 21, 7.15pm: Ed van der Elsken, Eye on art and artists 
• Feb 22, 7.00pm: Van der Elsken en tijdgenoten: Stad, familie en film

EVENT Feb 25, Mar 25, Apr 22
Workshop for adults: Photography through the eyes of Ed
Language: Dutch
Location: various locations throughout Amsterdam

THEORY, Feb 12 2017
Sunday Seminar: Between art and document: Photography critique in the Nederlands 1980 - 2015
Language: Dutch
Location: Teijin Auditorium

FILM, Feb 21 2017
Ed van der Elsken: Eye on Art
Language: Dutch
Location: EYE Filmmuseum

THEORY, Apr 23 2017
The Moving Page: At the Crossroads of Cinema and Photobook
 Language: English
Location: Teijin Auditorium

FRIDAY NIGHT EVENT, May 19 2017
Ed van der Elsken Finissage with Meduse MagiQ a.o
Language: Dutch & English
Location: Performances on various locations througout the museum

CREDIT

Exhibition organised by the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam in collaboration with Jeu de Paume. With special thanks to Anneke Hilhorst and Han Hogeland, the Nederlands Fotomuseum Rotterdam, Leiden University Library/ Special Collections, Eye Filmmuseum Amsterdam, The Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, Hilversum, Annet Gelink Gallery, Amsterdam and Paradox, Edam.