Paul Rondags (1960, Maastricht) lives and works in his hometown in the Netherlands. After high school, he studied at the “Fotovakschool” in Apeldoorn and graduated in 1982. In 1988 he finished the Academy of Fine Arts in Maastricht. From 2012 -2013 he was a photography teacher at the Pentagoon Academy in Tongeren, Belgium. Paul has had exhibitions in Maastricht, Amsterdam and in Aachen, Germany. He has published one photo book so far, Green Tea In A Mauve Mood.
What I like about photography is its simpleness and directness. The result, a photo, is just a click away. The 3D boxed in a 2D image. Reality framed. In a fraction of a second the world freezes and history is written. It’s magic. Simple as that.
On A Clear Day
“On a clear day” refers to the weather conditions when these photos were taken. In this series, entirely shot in Belgium, Paul shows the “do it yourself architecture.” The photos reflect the oddity of the intervention in the landscape.
To Paul, the architecture looks like unintended sculptures which at the same time detonate and fit in the landscape.
“This duality I find extremely attractive. I like the way the midday sun delivers such magnificent shadows and colors. Last summer, I walked a lot and also made a lot of pictures in the villages in Belgium around Maastricht. The municipality Riemst with nine villages is most represented. Slowly I got sympathy for their way of living which is a bit different from the Dutch. The villages often have a ribbon development and the houses are mostly standing free with substantial gardens. Often the inhabitants are their own architect, leading to quirky almost anarchic constructions.”
A mix of old and new
The pictures are taken, often not all, on a clear day. The sun is high in the sky, the sky is often blue and an integral part of the whole perspective. The gardens are cared for. The lawn is mowed and the decorations and ornaments are ready to be admired.
“It seems deserted, there is almost no one to see, which reminds me of my childhood in the sixties. I enjoyed it, this mix of old and new.”
I hope that those who visit my website and series at http://paulrondags.com/on-a-clear-day/ will enjoy what they find,” says Paul.
You can follow him here: https://www.instagram.com/paulrondags/
Life in Maastricht 