Man Stealing Books Reads by moonlight. Postcard. Published by Art Unlimited, Amsterdam. Artist: Teun Hocks.
This intriguing postcard depicts a striking, moody scene set under the
subtle illumination of a full moon. A singular figure, a man, stands
prominently in the center of the image, evoking a sense of solitude and
introspection. He is dressed in typical early- to mid-20th-century
attire—a long-sleeved shirt, pants, and a flat cap, suggestive of a
working-class background.
The setting is both unusual and
captivating; the man is positioned on what appears to be a roof made of
old, weathered tiles. The alignment and styling of the tiles add texture
and depth to the scene, hinting at the rustic or aged quality of the
depicted environment. Below and around him are scattered an assortment
of bricks and stones, seemingly haphazard but inherently part of the
desolate and possibly derelict ambiance. Beside him, an open book rests
on his thigh, capturing his full attention despite the unconventional
reading spot.
The moon casts a gentle, eerie glow across the
scene, etching out shadows and adding a luminous quality to the edges of
the man and the objects around him. This lighting enhances the surreal
and somewhat lonely atmosphere, positioning the moon as a silent
companion to the man’s nocturnal activity. The image invokes a narrative
quality, prompting curiosity about the man’s reasons for being in such a
place at such a time, and why the book holds his interest so
compellingly.
Overall, the postcard exudes a mysterious charm,
combining elements of solitude, the stark beauty of the moonlit night,
and a hint of a story untold, relating to both the setting and the
figure within it. It invites viewers to ponder the scene, weaving their
own interpretations and stories from the visual clues provided.
For well over a quarter of a century, the Dutch photographer and painter Teun Hocks has been making his highly characteristic pictures: large-scale, single-figure studies of a middle-aged man caught in variously absurd circumstances. Hocks plays this character himself, and the finished works seem to sit somewhere between newspaper cartoons and history painting. Here is a short interview with the artist:
Teun, let me ask you about this character that you portray in your pictures. He’s nervous, somewhat self-obsessed, and his attention is always in slightly the wrong place. Is that you? No, I’m quite different than that. Of course he comes partly from me, but these are not self-portraits at all, and I’m glad about that because I hope that I’m smarter than he is. But I’m not even sure that he’s always the same person. Sometimes he’s more afraid, and sometimes he’s more self-assured.
Sometimes he’s too sure of himself, such as when he thinks he can shoot stars down. That’s one of my favorites. That picture-frame photograph strikes me as particularly apt because in practical terms, you are actually in your pictures, aren’t you?
Yes. There’s a big backdrop that I paint or build, or whatever’s needed, and I stand in the middle of that. Then I take a picture of myself in black and white and enlarge it. I do it myself in the darkroom with a little bit of help. Then I tone the picture sepia. And later I add oil paint. I color everything, but it’s transparent, so that you can see the picture underneath.
Published by Art Unlimited, Amsterdam.
