Judith in den Bosch: Dreams and metaphors on water
The photographic art of Judith in den Bosch from the Netherlands is hard to ignore.
The images she captures and digitally transforms on her mobile phone are often surrealistic. Sometimes they can be described as mystical. Always, the pictures usher the viewer into the photogapher’s inner world of moods and feelings. Although distinct from the real world, they are, at the same time, a reflection of it.
Click on the images for a full and larger view. The annotations that follow each picture are mine. — B.U.
© Judith in den Bosch
A woman appears to be attempting to fly as two seagulls hover around her as if to cheer her on. It is a strong metaphor of the female longing to be free.
© Judith in den Bosch
This is a powerful image. A row of trees is silhouetted against a blood red sky and reflected on the water like apparitions. A closer look will reveal three ducks swimming close to the water’s edge.
© Judith in den Bosch
Sometimes one needs to read between the lines when it comes to the photographic art of Judith in den Bosch. This image is one such instance. A group of birds is shown wading in the water whilst the others stay on the drier part of the shore. One is reminded of two kinds of people: those who dare and get their feet, so to speak, and those who want to play it safe.
© Judith in den Bosch
It takes skillful and mindful digital editing to create a picture as powerful as this one. The sea as depicted is emblematic of life: mysterious and forboding, yet not without a ray of hope. The image might call to mind the words of the British writer and poet, Anna Letitia Barbauld (1743–1825):
Life! we’ve been long together
Through pleasant and through cloudy weather;
Tis hard to part when friends are dear;
Perhaps ‘t will cost a sigh, a tear;
Then steal away, give little warning,
Choose thine own time;
Say not Good night, but in some brighter clime,
Bid me Good morning.
— from “Life”, The Works of Anna Letitia Barbauld, first of two volumes, 1825
© Judith in den Bosch
A woman bends down to hold something under the water with her right hand. Interestingly, her left hand appears to be clenched. It is an intriguing image that lends itself to various interpretations. On a metaphorical level, it could mean a woman’s attempt to hold on to her past as represented by her reflection on the water.
~ Barista Uno
