Bertien Van Manen - Les Echos de l'Ordinaire

Bertien van Manen’s photographs (1935–2024) are neither a diary nor a family album. While certain visual codes may evoke such associations, they meet none of the conditions that define either form. Her work is neither about herself nor about rituals, events, or carefully staged scenes. Rather, it can be described as an intimate and subjective chronicle of the lives of ordinary people who, buffeted by the winds of a history being written without them—one that at times overwhelms or crushes them—strive to make the best of their circumstances. And that struggle is often far more heroic than we tend to imagine. A chance self-portrait reveals the photographer herself: a daring woman with tousled hair and rolled-up sleeves. One imagines her as free-spirited, strong, rebellious, and resilient. After a brief career as a model, Bertien van Manen crossed to the other side of the lens and embarked on a life in photography. Guided by a deep sense of commitment, she traveled to distant lands, bringing to light the social realities and powerful forces shaping the communities she encountered.