Topmanagers

Six men who in 1994/1995 were Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the largest Dutch companies (Top 100): Dr. Jan W.F. van Ingen, Solvay Duphar B.V. Ir. Drs. Hans N.J. Smits, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Ben J.A. van Schaik, N.V. Royal Dutch Aircraft Fokker Mr. Hans Erik Jansen, Delta Lloyd Insurance Group Ir. Simon D. de Bree, DSM Ir. Wim Dik, KPN My experience as a tax consultant led to this subject. During my two year career as a tax consultant I was strongly confronted with the strict hierarchy and the elements of status that were used to confirm your position in the organization. The size of your office, your chair, the list-price of your company car, the sort of suit you wear……. I searched for ways to express this phenomenon and decided it would be best achieved by depicting the men who were CEO of the largest Dutch companies (Top 100), together with some of the above mentioned elements of status. At the time I started this series, I became very much interested in the German photographers Bernd and Hilla Becher and Thomas Ruff. They inspired me to execute this series in such a formal way. Photographing these different people in exactly the same way, gives the viewer the opportunity to compare these men with one another and to carefully study similarities and differences. The fact that they stand next to the chair they use, depicted from head to toe, lends a vulnerable element to the image. Standing next to the throne, one step removed from the seat of power. The chair symbolizes status, but also refers to the increasing mobility of labor and the diminishing uniqueness of these captains of industry, which makes them easier to replace. In technique and design the language of advertising is used, presenting the managers as corporate images in illuminated street furniture style boxes of 125 x 125 cm per box.