Reflection on Rineke Dijkstra. Almerisa series. 1994–2008
Jack Ng, MSSc (Hons), BSSc (Hons), RSW ??
A.Director, HKU | ExHead: APRU, K11, MoMA | President, Rotaract | Adv. Board: STC&TNN | BKT Top 10 Author | MSSc (1st), BSSc (1st), Cert: ANU, CUHK, LBS, MoMA, Penn, Stanford, UM, UT, Yale | RSW | ACC, Youder | ?? 30+??
Dijkstra is known for her obsession with time and making it halt. Across her body of work, Dijkstra holds brief moments forever, whether it’s teenagers transitioning into adulthood, or one of the numerous subjects whom she's traced for over 10+ years in a bid to capture them at different life stages. In Dijkstra’s commitment to transient states, she has infused still portrait photography with fresh energy. Her work reminds me of the Up series of documentary films and the randomness in life chances - the concept introduced by German sociologist Max Weber in the 1920s.
“Take a chance! All life is a chance. The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare.” - Dale Carnegie
“Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash.” - George S. Patton