WITHIN THE BUBBLE OF SURROUNDINGS - Seppe Vancraywinkel
Within the bubble of surroundings grants insight into an evolving yet solid friendship in which notions of time, space, adulthood, masculinity, and intimacy are spontaneously and intuitively reconfigured in a playful manner.
Seppe Vancraywinkel (1998) states that this project is an ode to that friendship. ‘One that was forged years ago between several boys living in the countryside, surrounding the small village of Hoegaarden. The loyalty and unwithering spirit within their comradery, as well as the picturesque scenery with its plains and creeks where they are free to roam and explore.’ As Vancraywinkel and his friends grew older and left the place that once connected them, a strong desire remains to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and seek refuge in the simplicity and intimacy of their friendship.
Vancraywinkel imagines his friends and himself as moving through life inside a bubble that assumes form whenever they are together. Within their togetherness, he finds solace and refuge, as the bubble is impermeable to the demanding noises of the outer world. But those who love, inevitably, also fear loss. The bubble works both ways. Its purpose is not only to shield and protect from outside pollution but also to guard those inside, to preserve them. By capturing snapshots on black and white film, they start to resemble a dream, disconnected from time but forever fixed on film.
Vancraywinkel works in black and white because it’s Vancraywinkel's way of creating a filter that shields his dreamlike world from reality. He feels like colours are too close to reality, they can cause unnecessary distractions. This is also the reason he doesn’t share the locations of his shoots. He feels it refers to the real world, "If the audience can orientate themselves, a piece of magic would be lost." Besides it being a series representing a utopia, Vancraywinkel never stages an image. He works impulsively - shoots freely but when selecting the images he becomes fastidious.
The series has a timelessness to it. The freedom of expression, touch, comfort, and nakedness between the men break the present-day male stereotype and show softness and roughness don’t have to cancel each other out. Vancraywinkel states that he would continue this series as long as the unprompted energy is still alive. Unsure if he will publish the rest of it, but on a personal level he will keep on capturing this friendship.
During this project, did your friends ever become more aware of the presence of the camera? If so has that ever changed your workflow and/or friendship?
Not really, ever since I took an interest in photography my camera has been dangling over my shoulder whenever I am out with my friends. So very soon, the camera became something normal, its presence almost went unnoticed. Also, I feel like the atmosphere doesn’t change when I take out my camera. Because, when I do, I don’t step into the role of the photographer, my photographs are always taken from a position within the group, I’m part of the action and the landscape, which makes everyone feel safe and equal.
None of your images are staged, you stated that you want to let go of the real world, by for instance not mentioning the locations. What role does ‘reality’ and capturing it play in this project?
Even though the moments I capture are real, they are also fleeting. They are fleeting into other moments, other realities with less time, less attention, more responsibilities, and more stress. It is the reality of that particular moment that I want to capture and preserve and prevent from turning into that other stuff. The medium of analogue photography grants me a means of fixing this moment and by doing so, creating a utopian new world that stands on its own. Abstracting color, not mentioning locations, or removing almost all traces of modern urban life, like digital devices or fashion brands help in this process of disconnecting and rebuilding both worlds.
The intimate portraits show a softer, opener side to male friendships breaking the stereotype. Is this something you consciously wanted to show while creating this project?
I have always felt a certain pride towards my friends and our friendship, which drove me to capture it in the first place. Since this was something I grew up with - or rather in -, I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was that made it feel so special to me, let alone put it into words. So I figured I’d better just show it. It is only by growing older, leaving behind a sort of childlike naivety, and raising my awareness, that I realized the openness and intimacy we share isn’t something evident in male friendships. So, while this was something I wanted to show all along, it was unconscious in the beginning.
What will you take out of this project in the following work you’ll be making?
When people first started asking me this question, I was quite hesitant. But I guess now I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m not one to start from a theoretical or technical informed point, rather I follow emotional impulses, or to put it even cornier: I follow my heart. I realized I feel most creative in settings in which there is some form of trust present, therefore intimacy will always be something I’m naturally drawn to. I will also continue to work via analogue photography. The analog process has become a big part of my working method and value attachment. So for now, I’m just going to continue following my heart and intuition and we’ll see where it will lead me.