“For me, a picture needs to knock you over, it immediately needs to reveal that in our world so many things are messed up and that people are suffering for no reason whatsoever.” This quote by Peter Martens (the Netherlands, 1937-1992) is typical of his work and work method. Together with his colleague Ed van der Elksen, Martens has become one of the leading street photographers of his generation in the Netherlands.
Martens studied at the School for Photography in The Hague. From his hometown of Rotterdam, he captured the hidden suffering of children, the disabled and homeless—in the Netherlands and in the rest of the world. He has traveled extensively during his life—sometimes alone, sometimes together with writer Renate Dorrestein. These journeys were mostly on behalf of the news magazine Panorama. Dorrestein, moreover, wrote the introduction to Nothing Special (1981), a collection of his work. Martens has won many prizes for his photography, including several World Press Photo awards and the Capi-Lux Alblas award (1984) for lifetime achievement. In 1988 he was named Dutch photojournalist of the year. He also was the first Dutchman to be nominated for photo agency Magnum, although he never became a member.
In April 1992, Martens died of cancer. Just before his death, the photographer selected his best work from his journeys through America. Exactly twenty years later, the result is finally published. The book, called American Testimony, is presented at BredaPhoto. In addition, a selection of this work will be displayed at a Peter Martens tribute exhibition.
EXHIBITION
American Testimony
September 13 – October 21, 2012
Breda’s museum
Parade 12
4811 DZ Breda Centrum
Tha Netherlands
BOOK
American Testimony
Photographs by Peter Martens
180 images with a text by Renate Dorrestein
paperback with cover| 208 pag. | 24 x 29 cm
Editor : Post-Editions
ISBN 9789460830655 Dutch edition
ISBN 9789460830648 English edition|
€ 35,00
