CRYINGBOYS

by Noah Valentyn

INTERVIEW DIGIFOTO

The interview of Digifoto Magazine will be published in the next issue.

Following the opening of the latest exposition in Rijksmuseum Muiderslot, Noah tells about his career and becoming photographer.

More info will follow.

History & Process

Noah’s connection with the vintage paintings of the ‘crying boys’ started in his youth. At home, his mother had one of the copies of the paintings. Being only child in a disturbed family, Noah felt a strong connection to the portait of the boy. It was his ‘brother’, a soul mate, that he could relate to when times were hard and lonely. Than, when his mother was told about the curse of these paintings, the painting, his friend, was expelled to the attick. Being a young boy Noah wasn’t allowed to go to the attick by himself. But he did, and he gave a promis to his friend. One day he would take him back into the house. That never happened since Noah later often had to change home and live with foster parents.

THE DISCOVERY

Many years later Noah visited Amsterdams famous flee-market (IJ Hallen). There he found the little portrait, the very same boy of his youth. Finally he could realize the promis he made so he bought the painting. At home Noah started questioning his own youth and thought about what could have happened to the children of these vintage paintings, often orphans or gypsies (as people often think).
He started a research on the spell and he discovered the story of the original artist, ‘Giovanni Bagolin’ (Pseudonym). ‘Bagolin’ was a talented painter that never was allowed to finish the art academy. A salesman bought all rights of the paintings and sold many copies... Bagolin himself never saw back a penny.

THE IDEA

Aren’t we all crying boys? Aren’t we all adults with our own pain, memory, vulnarability, learning to be strong. Is society organised in that way that we are not allowed to show our inner selves? Are men, women, people not allowed to show their vulnerability? Tears of emotions. Releave. It’s the authentic part of being human. And so, Noah’s newest concept and idea was born. To portray the emotion, the diversity of the tear, espacially with young men who are still learned to be tough.

THE PROCESS

First Noah started to carefully present his thoughts to his friends, asking them to help him in this project. The respond was highly positive. The first photoshoots were a challenging process in how to find the real emotion, most models are no professional actors. How to touch a persons inner heart in a setting of a studio, in bright lights even. Than Noah started to first let people talk, or to be silence to contact with their inner selves. Often by listening to music. After the first experiments Noah felt safe to also ask strangers in the streets, on social media. Even these responds were surprisingle positive. The project developped from a very personal thought into a respresentative result and series of modern men. An analyses of the tear, the diverstity in emotions.
The result; 33 portraits. A symbolic number.