Klassenfoto

A winter in Zuiderwoude: a school class walks to the waterside next to the school and lines up for the class photo. Before school photographer Joep Bruijnjé presses the exposure lever, the children are introduced one by one: Youri, Lilly, Romy, Jowy, Cedric, Sara, Suzanne, Kalijn, Ruben, Arthur, Dana, Daan, Lef, Sven, Hans, Sam, Bart, Nars and master Aart. Portraits of shy, serious, cheeky and funny children. Then, the photographer moves his camera to schools in Maastricht, Rotterdam, Warten in Friesland, Amsterdam, Haarlem, Hulst and again Rotterdam. And the process is repeated: the children introduce themselves and the picture is taken. The names are different, more exotic in the big cities, and the skin colour varies. Invariably, the teachers have solid Dutch names: Bert, Michiel, Frank, Marjolein, Carolien, except the master at one of the Rotterdam schools: he is called Mohammed. By means of a simple method, Class Photo subtly reveals the diversity of Dutch children in Dutch schools.