Partners
: Work
I had the opportunity to photograph Mark Jan Krayenhoff van de Leur for a fashion brand project. Mark kindly invited us into his home, where we decided to shoot. The house was big enough to accommodate the whole team. The dining table in the living room could also seat about 20 people. However, what caught my eye was a small table by the window next to the kitchen. When I asked Mark, "What is this table for?", he told me that it was the table where his partner and himself eat breakfast every morning. I sat down at it, but it was smaller than it looked. Moreover, it must have been quite cramped for Mark and AA Bronson... AA was not there at the time of the shoot, but I imagined AA and Mark eating breakfast and drinking coffee every morning, sitting between this small table with morning light coming out from the window... I thought that this table must be one thing that connected them.
It was AA’s idea to use this table for our breakfasts. We brought it with us from New York, where we used to have it in our office. I sit here and AA sits there. And the reason for that is—well, sit down. You can see the whole big view of the courtyard, right? Now try over here. You get a view of the ivy growing on the building’s walls. AA doesn’t really care about long distance scenes, he prefers close-up details. So he sits on the side by the kitchen because it makes him happy to look at these things. I didn’t even know about this part of him when we lived in New York.
I think the important thing is to be together for long periods of time and naturally discover new things about the other person. I’m still figuring out things about him after 20 years. I love being able to know more and more about a person, but you shouldn't want to change them. I think that’s one thing that we are pretty good at, and that’s why it’s lasted.
PHOTOGRAPHY by Ina Niehoff EDIT & INTERVIEW by Takuhito Kawashima
This story was published in PARTNERS #2. Our lives are made up of a variety of things. We put on clothes and go out. We sit in a chair to relax. We work on a table. How we use such everyday objects is up to each individual. Using wisdom and knowledge can sometimes lead to unexpected communication. AA Bronson and Mark Jan Krayenhoff van de Leur draped a linen cloth over a tiny table and every morning they eat breakfast there while talking about what happened the day before. The table brings a comfortable sense of distance to the two of them. This taught us that such small pieces of wisdom and actions can change our daily communication.