Table of contents
Philip Van is a Belgian photographer with a dynamic street photography style, particularly in his photos that always come with subtitles – creating a feeling of “pause” as if the viewer is seeing a frozen moment in a movie. This opens up their minds to questions and imagination to find answers.
Pursuing photography through a roundabout path
At around the age of 15, Philip Van began to develop a special interest in art books, including photography.
Growing up without access to the internet, computers or digital technology, Philip Van and other children had to rely on local libraries for resources. It was there that he discovered the Times’ Life series of photographs, which contain more than 50 years of American photographic history. This rare source of material opened up a new horizon for Philip Van, allowing him to admire the work of leading American and French photographers in the 1930s-1940s.
With that exciting and passionate feeling, Philip Van gradually purchased his first camera – just a cheap Zenit from Russia. But this was where his dream of photography began. He took many photos and even had his darkroom at home.
However, during many years after reaching adulthood, Philip Van succeeded in writing careers as a novelist, screenwriter, and writer. Therefore, he put aside his hobby of photography. His favorite job was writing scripts and dialogue for the stage. He also participated in writing and creating programs for various advertising projects.
During his work, he collaborated with many commercial photographers but found himself unsuited for studio photography.
It was only after leaving the advertising industry that Philip Van returned to photography. Actually, he had the opportunity to compile a photobook for the famous photographer Carl de Keyzer, which reignited his passion for photography. He shared that: without Carl de Keyzer, he would probably never have returned to the path of photography.
Following this, Philip Van traveled to China – a place that he referred to as “a huge subject.” Here, he made the decision to continue the photography journey that he had put on hold for more than 20 years.
Photography is a form of meditation
Philip Van shares that taking photos is not just about capturing images, it’s a way for him to transport himself to another place. For him, photography is a form of meditation.
He often walks the streets, discovering interesting frames and waiting for the “weird” moment to capture through his lens. These moments raise such questions “What is happening here?” “something isolated?” or “in a city of a million people, one person is standing there alone?”. Like where something strange happens; pictures that don’t look realistic, almost, although they were realistic.
Philip Van said, “The more I take pictures, the more I feel like I’m pausing in the middle of a movie.” He compared reality to a scene on stage that was set by a director. To add a unique touch to his works, Philip came up with the idea of creating subtitles for them.
For Philip Van, subtitles play a decisive role in his work. He believes that choosing the right subtitle for an image is both interesting and instinctive. This task can be quite challenging as the subtitle must create an intriguing relationship between the text and image while also leaving room for the viewer’s imagination.
When we look at his photos, we can feel as though someone is speaking and narrating each image. The photos seem to be taken from various movie genres such as science fiction, documentaries, news, and many others.
Philip Van’s photo collections always have a unique character, making them both related to a particular topic and independent at the same time. Some photos are humorous, while others are philosophical or dialogue-oriented.
"We live in hypothetical frames."
To Philip Van, the writer and the photographer within himself have met each other. His photos often capture moments when characters appear frozen in time, as if preparing to speak, think, or take action. That sparks curiosity in viewers, leaving them wondering what will happen next. Capturing such natural and powerful stillness requires a keen sensitivity to the nuances of human beings, objects, movements and emotional changes. In addition, the seemingly random subtitles also prompt viewers to pause and reflect. Having honed his craft in the worlds of theater and literature, Philip Van sets himself apart from other photographers.
Philip Van is inspired by his own imagination, which comes from within his own imagination rather than external sources. He credits his lifelong love of reading and watching movies for nurturing his creativity.
In Philip Van’s eyes, life is like a stage, but it is not a stage in the sense of performance: “We live a lot, a lot more than we realize … in fiction. We live within frames, fictionalized frames that others have created. It can be old studies. It can be the media or the political systems. But we live more in fiction than we believe; and the rules of which we happily apply and follow and submit to more than we think. Our thinking is very influenced by things we see, films, or is definitely more and more by youtube and etc. and tiktok now. We almost live in those, think in those frames almost.”
Based on his personal experiences and contemplations, Philip Van has concluded that artists and photographers play the role of observers and stage directors in their works.
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Writer: Liên Võ for Hoa Ta
Editor: BB Trương
Interview video with Philip Vandenberghe
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