“With a strong sense of the eternity of the moment, he takes photographs, whose lyrical depth reports and possess a poetic approach to people and things that do not pass”.
Willem K. Coumans,
Artcritic and publicist for the art magazines.
“People like Derksen, with his otherworldly images come to me to stand under a cristal jar, and I think and hope I am not the only with such a tabernacle in his head”.
Maarten Beks,
Arthistorian, curator and journalist
“Perhaps this is the greatest quality of his photography: it succeeds in reality, as they were in fraudulent wealth to the eye develops, scraping up images of worlds which lies behind this reality. Images that reaches us through the eye, but slowly and surely hook in the mind.”
Pool Andries,
Photohistorian and curator FoMu, Antwerp
“Theo Derksen, has a fascination for change. He travels a lot, his photography testifies. Yet his travel documen-tary photography is not reporting. It is astonishing. Not the surprise of the tourist "look strange, very different from us", but the wonder of a child who sees and shall not be a significant commitment, but is already looking very bright wondering what this is allowed and that continues to do without there like an answer to give. The child has the surprised look we see in the photography of Derksen people in situations that are not specific to a given place. You do not know immediately what or where it is and why. And on closer examination it shows an unambiguous meaning in co-ming. The effect is that you keep watching. As a child. In this way, looking Theo Derksen. He looks like he is traveling, even when he's home. It's an art to live as if you always traveling. Meanings are not fixed, but shifting. They change over time, but also to change places, to travel. Yourself open to a world where meanings change, that seems to challenge himself and the viewer who Derksen sets.
Drs. Ridsert Hoekstra,
Arthistorian and curator Stedelijk Museum, Roermond.
“He brings together visual images that form a moving portrait of human existence. The photos reveal the move-ment and rhythms of life, the volatile mysteries and the loneliness. His photographic imagery shows a sharp-minded but passionate vision of everyday life. The photographs give voice to the silent spirit of everyman, every woman and every child. In his work, time after time, those portrayed find themselves at a decisive moment. On one side, having no hope of portraying their own individual qualities or pecu-liarities, on the other side, accepting the greater obligation of representing their background, social role and standing and their class. They fix their eyes, somewhere out there, much further than the photographer, on something bigger and more important than he is interested in. Looking over his shoulder we get a macabre feeling that we are the subject! It seems as if the models are trying to say something to us and posterity.
Prof. dr. Johan Swinnen
Photohistorian and curator. Antwerp.