Emiel van Moerkerken

author · photographer

Dutch^[1] b. 15 August 1916, Haarlem, Netherlands^[1] d. 6 March 1995, Amsterdam, Netherlands^[1] active 1930–1995

Emiel van Moerkerken (1916–1995) was a prominent Dutch surrealist photographer, filmmaker, and writer. He was recognized as one of the most significant surrealist artists in the Netherlands during the 1930s and 1940s. While he often viewed himself primarily as a filmmaker, his documentary-style photography gained significant recognition in his later years. His work often merged everyday life with dreamlike, surrealist elements. In the late 1940s, his style shifted toward a more documentary nature, as seen in his photo books 'Amsterdam' (1957) and 'Meisjes van Nederland' (1959). He served as an instructor of filmmaking technique at the Netherlands Film Academy in Amsterdam from 1967 to 1979. His photographic archives and artistic legacy continue to be preserved and exhibited in institutions such as the Fotomuseum Den Haag.^[1,2,3]

• surrealism
• documentary photography
• film technique
• urban life