Richard Brocken creates heartfelt photographs of his children, family travels, self portraiture, and more. Here he talks with AHC about his photography and the inspirations that lie behind the work. AHC: What first drew you to photography? Was there a specific moment in your life or turning point where it became clear to you that you were being called to create? Richard: When I was in my twenties my wife and I traveled a lot around the world. On these journeys you encounter different situations like the city life of Kathmandu in Nepal or wildlife in Zimbabwe for example. This required different kind of lenses or cameras, so I started to gain a focus on photographic material. Later my subject changed when our children were born. They became my subject, in all of the stages you encounter by living together. AHC: Could you talk some about your overall process, themes & inspirations? Richard: A very important inspiration is my daughter Eva. There is a natural flow with her, ideas popping up every day for a shoot, so her whole childhood she was my model and inspiration. The portraits with Eva are simple and natural. She herself is a very fine photographer. AHC: Do you prefer to shoot in black and white or color? Which does more justice to a portrait? Richard: A lot of my works are in black and white but I don’t have a particular preference for either. Some portraits just work better in black and white, there is less distraction, noise etc. AHC: Who are some of your artistic influences? Is there anyone outside of the art world whose work has impacted your own, or who just generally inspire you, writers, filmmakers, musicians etc? Richard: I am a huge fan of the portraits of Belgian photographer Stephan Vanfleteren, the works of Dutch photographers Anton Corbijn and Erwin Olaf. Lars von Trier is my all time favorite director and screenwriter, the recordings of Carlos Kleiber are amongst my favorite albums of classical music and I just finished the six books, my struggle, of the Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgård, they were a true journey and a delight to read. AHC: What is the first work of art/photography you encountered that took your breath away? Richard: Meisje met de parel by Johannes Vermeer. (girl with a pearl earring) A fairly simple composition but with an overwhelming atmosphere and beauty. AHC: Are there times when you become blocked creatively? What do you do to rekindle inspiration? Richard: Many times! I don’t have a solution, just wait and try. AHC: Do you have any upcoming exhibits or new projects you'd like to tell people about? Richard: I am working with a curator in Japan for a large exhibition with only portraits of Eva, there is not much to say about this yet because of the process still being formed. For more visit www.richardbrocken.com/ All images © Richard Brocken (Provided courtesy of the artist)
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