The image above is by Jo Teeuwisse and part of a series called: "The Ghosts of Amsterdam". She blends old photographs found at flea markets and merges them with a contemporary image of the same motif, taken from the same angle.
What a fascinating way of bringing history to life. Many European cities were severely damaged 65 years ago. It's not usually something we think about, but it's perfectly reflected in the images below.
When I find something interesting, I want to know more. Here's another photographer, Sergey Larenko, who uses a similar technique, placing old photographs into contemporary images. They are different, but equally fascinating:
Both artists use photoshop and I was really intrigued by how strongly I was moved. The only difference is that Jo Teeuwisse uses transparency filters, which give her images a ghostlike quality while Sergey Larenko is more brusque and places the historical images directly into the contemporary ones. They left me speechless, which happens when strong images speak for themselves.
Their work is so haunting and fascinating at the same time. Thanks for sharing these.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, these are very powerful images.
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit like finding old wallpaper on a wall or an old letter, isn't it - suddenly the time in-between seems immaterial, and there is such a strong, direct link between yourself and a time in the past.
Feeling part of the passing of time, in a way - and feeling like just a very small blip in history at that. Strangely comforting, that...
I think hauntingly beautiful is the only way to describe these. Thank you for showing us.
ReplyDeletethank you so much for sharing these photos with us - I will now go on and explore them further - again - thank you xxx
ReplyDeleteThese photos fill my fantasy life with visions. Time has changed so much yet sometime the feelings linger. it reminds me of sitting in an airport in Jordan with young men, an American, German and Japanese and suddenly thinking, twenty years ago our parents were killing each other, and there we were sharing food, travel tips and our interests in pop culture. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThese images are amazing... speak to me of hope, yet also tragedy. Very powerful too. Thank you once again for sharing something I had never seen before.
ReplyDeletebeautiful, Kathrin. How stirring and thought provoking. Thanks for sharing, friend....
ReplyDeleteThough I can't say these pictures are "beautiful" as they do, in fact remind us of eerie times in Europe, they do bring hope and naturally the technique itself is amazing. Amsterdam is a serene city, with wonderful little streets and canals. I wish people would see more in it than the things it's most famous for. :)
ReplyDeleteWow...Those are definitely powerful images. They really do bring history to life. I had to tear myself away from looking through all of them. Fascinating. I think I'll have to go back and look some more. Thanks for the links...
ReplyDeleteWishing you and Raf, a happy, healthy and joyful New Year!
Oops! So sorry, I somehow thought I was on another blog - but wishing you a happy new year, nonetheless!
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