Crispijn: Waterlooplein

2nd of November – 27th of December 2019 at Café Bern

 

In 2015 Crispijn got hold of Evert Werkman’s book ‘Waterlooplein’. Its final conclusion was: “It has been transformed into something modern, comfortable, neat and tidy; but it’s just not the Waterlooplein anymore.”

Yet the market manifested itself nevertheless, once it returned to its old place in 1988. But now, 32 years later, it’s as if the market is back to square one: threatened to be restricted by the prestigious plans of the city council to embellish the failed design of the city hall with a profitable shopping mall, which will undoubtedly be at the expense of the market.

The city council thinks along straight lines, an approach totally unsuitable for a flea market. Through his pictures Crispijn makes an attempt to show that this fringe of Amsterdam should never be smoothed out, as it brings together so many people from some many different cultural and social backgrounds.

Please feel free to drop by. From 4:00-6:00 p.m. you can come and see the exhibition at your ease. Or late at night, after 11:00 p.m., when the rather busy dinner time has finished and a lovely relaxed “after hours” atmosphere has descended on Café Bern.

Below you can already have a preview of some of the works exhibited at Café Bern.

Freddy Stoner

Crispijn

Photograph
49 x 49 cm

Exhibited at Café Bern
from the 2nd of November until the 27th of December 2019

Cyclone

Crispijn

Photograph
49 x 69 cm

Exhibited at Café Bern
from the 2nd of November until the 27th of December 2019

Emmy - oldest customer

Crispijn

Photograph
29 x 39 cm

Exhibited at Café Bern
from the 2nd of November until the 27th of December 2019

Morning ritual

Crispijn

Photograph
24  x 39 cm

Exhibited at Café Bern
from the 2nd of November until the 27th of December 2019

Posh dumpster diving

Crispijn

Photo
49 x 69 cm

Exhibited at Café Bern
from the 2nd of November until the 27th of December 2019

Plexidam

Crispijn

Photograph
39 x 69 cm

Exhibited at Café Bern
from the 2nd of November until the 27th of December 2019

Crispijn

If only I could have captured the moment

My name is Crispijn. Together with my wife Rozemarijn we trade in second hand goods at Waterlooplein. We have been doing so for 10 years now.

From the very start I had a photo camera lying in my car. But in 2015 I suddenly realized that I had to wear the camera at all times.

A regular customer in a small invalid vehicle wanted to inspect a spare wheel at our stall; he kept one feet inside his car but forgot to take it off the gas. The small vehicle rode out at quite a speed, ending up against a lamp post, that instantaneously lost its top. The regular, although infirm, could suddenly run fast and rode out of there. It was a magnificent spectacle and I said to myself: “If only I could have captured the moment”.

I have been wearing my camera ever since.