i spoke to journalist Will Chan about why i only take analogue photos, the 'art of making mistakes', who and what inspires my work, my love for Hong Kong, and more.
₅₅₂ 𝘗𝘏𝘖𝘛𝘖𝘎𝘙𝘈𝘗𝘏𝘠丨錯誤的藝術 LOES VAN IPEREN
LOES VAN IPEREN 與不少外國藝術家一樣，被香港的本土特色和個性魅力吸引來到這裡，從此把這個融匯東西文化的城巿視為第二個家。在這裡生活和工作的幾年間，她運用敏銳的視覺，拍下了大量攝影作品，向我們呈現出一個與別不同的香港。
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LOES 很喜歡把鏡頭對準生活中平凡、世俗，但有趣的細節，然後通過快門來捕捉那些稍縱即逝的瞬間，借此期望觀眾能夠透過自己的相片，觀察這個世界為人所忽略的一面。
無論是拍攝風景、肖像，抑或靜物，採用什麼菲林、鏡頭和相機，LOES 總是喜歡以懷舊作為創作主題，所以她的相片比較傾向靜態，很多時具有濃艷的色彩，偶爾會泛起淡淡然的憂傷感，有點像 1990 年代的香港電影劇照，或者王家衛電影的某些定格。
LOES 是一個天生的完美主義者，選擇拍攝菲林反而可以令她放下小部份無謂的執著。若然她擁有一部數碼相機，恐怕她會在同一個場景拍下數千張相片，以求從中揀選出最完美的一張，但仍然擔心會漏掉一幅更佳的畫面。然而，拍攝菲林的話，她便沒有機會這樣做，因為她只有卅六、廿四、十二，甚至更少次按下快門的機會，來獲得自己渴望得到畫面。通常為了節省菲林和沖曬費用，她只會給予自己最多三次機會拍攝同一個畫面，然後迫使自己從中揀出最好的。正是由於菲林本身這種侷限，迫使 LOES 在拍攝時變得更加堅決和果斷。當然，她自己也十分享受這種拍攝模式和樂於接受這種挑戰。
✍︎ 完整文章刊於 ISSUE 552
Text by 葉葦
552 PHOTOGRAPHY | The Art of Imperfection
(translated with AI)
Like many international artists, Loes van Iperen was drawn to Hong Kong's unique local character and vibrant charm, making this culturally diverse city her second home. Over the years she has lived and worked here, Loes has captured countless photographs through her keen eye, presenting a distinct vision of Hong Kong.
Loes finds beauty in the ordinary, mundane details of daily life and enjoys capturing fleeting moments through her lens, hoping that viewers will discover overlooked aspects of the world through her images. Whether shooting landscapes, portraits, or still life, and regardless of the film, lens, or camera she uses, nostalgia is a recurring theme in her work. Her photos often exude a stillness, with vivid colours and an occasional hint of melancholy, reminiscent of 1990s Hong Kong movie scenes or stills from a Wong Kar-wai film.
As a natural perfectionist, Loes finds that shooting on film helps her let go of unnecessary obsessiveness. With a digital camera, she would likely take thousands of shots of the same scene, searching for the perfect one while worrying she might miss an even better shot. But with film, she is limited to only 36, 24, 12, or even fewer shutter clicks to capture the desired image. To save on film and development costs, she often limits herself to just three attempts at the same shot, forcing herself to choose the best among them. This inherent limitation of film pushes Loes to be more decisive and confident when taking photos. She thoroughly enjoys this way of shooting and embraces the challenge it presents.
