Herenstraat
Nominee DuPho. SO Student Award 2023
Almost every city in the Netherlands has a street called ‘Herenstraat’. At first, when you think of ‘Herenstraat’, a connection is quickly made to the stately characteristics of mansions, which usually bear witness to the rich Dutch history. However, the Herenstraat in Gouda is not such a street. Small labor housing and concrete pavements are two of its main visual contents. The socio-economic situation is lower than elsewhere. And the residents have to deal with prejudices partly due to negative reporting over the years.
Mariëtte Lock has been in and around the street for more than two years and has seen the different side of its residents. The last nine months she settled down in a site hut, to get even closer to the people living in and around the Herenstraat and to be able to capture highly personal, intimate moments.
The Herenstraat appears to be a place of social connection; there is a huge contrast between the monotonous housing and the plurality of its residents.
About
Mariëtte Lock (b. 1977) is a documentary photographer living in Gouda, The Netherlands. She studied Social and Cultural Science and worked for fifteen years at a knowledge centre for local democracy. Her background strongly influences her photography, which is a mix of socially engaged projects and personal work. Her work centers around social groups and communities. Mariëtte mostly works on long-term documentary stories.
Book ‘Herenstraat’
Photography: Mariëtte Lock
Design: Studio Asja Keeman
You can order the book here: mariettelock.com/book
More about the Dutch Photography Award: dupho.nl