Nazraeli Press, Portland.
“Within contemporary photographic practice there is much work being
done with the 5/4 camera. The resulting large and beautiful prints can
be both seductive and highly detailed. It is also possible to see many brilliant
explorations of institutions or particular places usually done with
a medium or small format camera. I cannot think of any other project
where you get both of these ideas running together so seamlessly. This
is part of Wouda’s great achievement in these pictures.” — from the
Introduction by Martin Parr
The fourth title in our “Parr/Nazraeli Edition of Ten” (titles 1
through 3 shown left), Raimond Wouda’s School shows groups of
pupils at numerous secondary schools in the Netherlands. Rather
than depicting classrooms, Wouda chose to photograph the places
where students relax between classes, placing his large-format
camera high on a ladder and triggering the shutter from the
ground via remote control to capture specific moments. According
to Wouda, the current debates about substance and behaviour
in secondary schools have gone unnoticed by the students themselves,
for whom school is a relatively safe place in which to meet
and interact with their friends, and to discover their own identity.
Purchase School.
