THE FRONT SEAT ª INTERVIEW 12 Jun 2006 Featured Artist Interview - Joachim Baan View his portfolio Time is a factor. It controls movements and determine your state of mind. It overhauls that notion of emotion without being vindictive to the exterior factors but a focused attention to the soul, most often through the eyes of your subject. Photography makes memories physical. Photography spells moments in miniscule details. Photography seems like a dance to one, and not to others but yet the similarities of interpretation of such persona resonates familiarity, ÒDance is the way you move, the way you stand absolutely still. The art of control. A dancer is someone who haves an absolute control about his moves, an artist is someone who haves an absolute control about his artwork. The photographer about what we see.Ó Yes, photography is about control. You control the moment and put the intensity in one borderline frame. You control your subject in suitability of your art direction. You control and freeze that look of that emotions and putting them in adjectives. Photography is about control. Why? Because Joachim Baan said so. Because his idea of smiles and contentment is by living on the top of a mountain, without getting disturbed for a year while his frowns and augments of sighs sits heavilly on his shoulder by when he has not enough time to make all his creative ideas come true. And these strong emotions that determine your passing of everyday. And time plays a more eloquent role more than the ticking hands in the watch on your wrist. He is as interesting as a photographer can get. Based in Netherlands, Joachim shares with us the art of his craft. He is also a great prose writer although he was in an envelope of humility to such compliments. ÒI have to confess that friends and family edit most of the texts I writeÉ so, that compliment go to them!Ó Good writing is not about grammar, it emblems one with depth of content. Photography is not about the photos. It is not about dance. It is as simple as he described it to be: ÒThe green and dreamy atmosphere of a summer evening, the smell of rain and flowers floating outside the manor and the sound of crickets in the background. Colours are soft, the air is thin... In a split second you see the perfect composition, a setting which resembles how you perceive the world; a pure moment of grace," Joachim Baan Photographer. Graphic Designer. Thinker. Metropolitan. Art Director. Talent. Man. TAXI >> Joachim Baan, welcomeÉ How are you? Joachim Baan>>Thank you, IÕm fine! A little too busy but IÕm doing well! TAXI >> Photographer, graphic designer and you also write beautifully; and without any education to said designation. How did you manage to become such a talent? Joachim Baan>>First of all, IÕm dyslectic and quite a bad writer! Especially in English. I have to confess that friends and family edit most of the texts I writeÉ so, that compliment go to them! The rest of the question is true. Indeed, without any education I made it to this point. In short: I started 5 years ago as a web designer at Framfab, learned the basics of design, and hopped jobs to a print minded agency in Amsterdam named Oktober. There I learned the rules of the print industry, how it works, what you can or canÕt. Meanwhile I started untitledlab.com, one of the first Dutch design portals, with projects like pdf magazines, t-shirts and other collaborative initiatives. Due to time issues, I've killed this project, but it was the start of my life on the internetÉ At the moment IÕm working at É,staat, a creative agency in Amsterdam working for clients including Nike, Heineken and LeviÕs (a.o.), and ÔfreelanceÕ projects on photography and graphic design under the name ÔAnothercompanyÕ. When I want to learn something IÕm not going into books and school, but IÕll try to find it in real life. For example, when I want to focus on typography IÕll buy newspapers, magazines and books and try to see what is good in it, what people are doing with spacing, how they manage headings, long copy. And than IÕm going to copy it to ÔfeelÕ how it works, to mix it, to sample itÉ and slowly IÕll become part of itÉ The other thing, when you want to learn something is to dream! IÕve had a coach who proclaimed I have to share my dreams with everybody around me, cause only than they will come true! The most important thing is to stay honest to yourself, to the dreams you had and to the dreams you have. ItÕs not bad to change goals, to skip dreams! TAXI >> In 2002 and 2003, you have held two solo photo exhibitions. Tell us more about this exhibition? Joachim Baan>>My boss at Oktober was quite enthusiastic about my photographic work and I made a series of photomontages for my first exhibition. The pictures were abstract compilations of combined photographs, sometimes with more than a hundred photos in it. The theme was inspired by the plane crashing into the WTC, the war in Iraq, the violence and hate in the world but also by love! For me it was a great opportunity to show my work to more people! IÕve sold some pieces and was asked to do a next show in another gallery. You can consider this as my start in the art world. It was a good time! But itÕs also scary to show people your work in a exhibition setting, itÕs like staying naked in the front of a crowd. But I will do it again ;-) TAXI >> ÒFor as long as I canÕt rememberÓ is your fist photo book published in late 2005 but is restricted to and numbered version of 1000 copies. Why are you restricting such a fabulous book? DonÕt you want to share this craft of yours to more people across the globe? Joachim Baan>>Well, thatÕs a hard question. The main reason is to keep on creating! To stay awake, keep looking for the beautiful things in life. I canÕt lie back and wait till IÕve sold enough books. I neither like mass production! I think mass production is one of the reasons people are getting bored of everything, they hate their job, their food, their family. Why? Because everyone is the same, everybody has the same thing, everybody wants the same thing! ThatÕs is why I restricted the copies of my book. TAXI >> You photograph under the company of ANOTHERCOMPANY and your retail goods are named ANOTHERSHIRT. If you were to choose another (pun intended) name for your side-company and retail goods, what would it be? Joachim Baan>>I think it would be something with the word Convex in it. A convex is a image without any strait line, only curvesÉ Just like the mirror in the shop. Or it would be Tchotchke; nondescript junk, showy but valueless, rapidly trifling. Both words inspire me to find a deeper meaning, to find the story within. And thatÕs exactly what Anothercompany is. It says something without saying it. ItÕs not ordinary, nor regular, it is that other special thing you want to have, see, share, do, love, like, hateÉ But you have to fill it in for yourself! TAXI >> You also mentioned that coming soon, there will be another macbook bag, another fashion bag, another scarfÉ How are they coming along? Do you have a physical boutique for your apparels and accessories? Joachim Baan>>It will stay onlineÉ But, to give you the absolute premier: IÕm planning to start a gallery/shop/studio in the Netherlands. Yes, thatÕs true. A concept minded place for new art and restricted and numbered goods. And this will, I think, also be the place for my own work, my goods. Lets say we stay in contact about this ok? TAXI >> In your EVERYTHING design for Utrecht(NL), you associate birds with freedom, liberty and peacefulness. What other elements of life do you think best explains liberty and peace? Joachim Baan>>Wow. Birds became the icons of freedom, international. When I have to choose a new icon, letÕs say a Ôpeace logoÕ, I think it would be a passionflower. Why? Because nature is the link between all races and the flower is the result of a very complex, but successful way of Ôworking togetherÕ in harmony. The passion flower in specific IÕll choose just because of its name. And also, its beauty! TAXI >> Do you also associate photography as a movement of dance? Joachim Baan>>Not especially with dance. But I can imagine your question! Dance is the way you move, the way you stand absolutely still. The art of control. A dancer is someone who haves an absolute control about his moves, an artist is someone who haves an absolute control about his artwork. The photographer about what we see. TAXI >> You mention that you are working closely with Marcel Kampman from the Texelseboys on several projects currently. Care to share? Joachim Baan>>Well, I can share a bit, not allÉ We are working on a magazine/newspaper, based on the idea of a blog. This magazine will be a document of our thoughts, our truth. A collaborative magazine with the most brilliant people of this time, international! A blog is the realization of freedom of speech. Everyone can say what he wants to say. And there is a complex way of collaborating and sharing copyrights and credits in bloglife. That interesting thing we want to combine with the rules of magazines. Working on the edge of print and new media. Working with tagging, contextual advertising, RFID etc etcÉ I canÕt tell more yet, but I will keep you updated! TAXI >> We love the way you write. Please do us a favour and write a short prose on your take of life. Your life. Joachim Baan>>As I mentioned before, IÕm a bad writer, bud I will do my best. My life is about looking for changes, finding the little difference in everyday life, the pure silence in a train station, the enormous sound in the forest, the colour in black and colourless in the flowers. And showing this to the people around me, and tell them: look, hear, feel! ItÕs a beautiful world, why run! I want to teach people how to look, how to appreciate life, the ordinary. My life, at this moment is about finding the boundaries of my eyes, of my mind and of my soul. And I hope that what I think it will be the edge, is only the beginning. TAXI >> It has been my greatest pleasure having Kate and Camilla Inc. on our Front Seat this week. Before we end, tell us a place where you want a taxi to bring you to right now. Joachim Baan>>Please bring me to a peaceful middle east! © 2006 by TAXI Design Network. All rights reserved.