On 1 and 2 December Tsead Bruinja, musician Zea and photographer Rosa van Ederen visited Talma Hiem in Balk with guest poet/artist Lies Van Gasse. They made personal portraits with and for Mr. De Vries and the ladies Posthuma-Wiersma, Van Loo-Faber and Pietersma.
Tsead: “In Talma Hiem te Balk I was not announced as a former Poet Laureate, but as Former Father of Friesland. That was too much honor! I met Mr. De Vries, who was once the proud owner of the first Frisian milk tank truck and who now likes to play bingo. Among other things, Arnold wrote a song about his skill at exchanging, not just bingo prizes. We listened with poet Lies Van Gasse to Mrs Van Loo who talked about Taizé and looked at her paintings. Rosa went out with Mrs. Posthuma-Wiersma who used to like to play ‘blikspuit’. That led to very playful photos! Often the residents think that their life is not special enough. Mrs. Pietersma also found herself and her life almost too ordinary. I disagreed. I wrote about the friendship she has had with Teatske for eighty-five years and about her marriage to Wieger, who left work early because he had to work with asbestos without protection. It was an edition that dealt with the personal stories of the elderly in Friesland, about love, suffering, work and play over the years.”
Listen to the song ‘De wissels fan Jan de Vries’ written and composed by Zea for Jan de Vries:
Watch a selection of the photo’s Rosa made of the workshops (by Tsead, Zea and Lies with the residents) and the presentation:
Read the texts written by Tsead and Lies about the residents:
Watch a part of the photo’s Rosa made as a portrait of Minke Posthuma-Wiersma:
Rosa: “Minke Posthuma-Wiersma, born in 1945, worked a lot in her life and took care of her husband who became ill. What she used to love most was playing outside, on beautiful summer evenings with the whole neighbourhood. ‘Blikspuit’, what they used to call ball kicking, and then find the best hiding places. Or chalk a hopscotch on the sidewalk and spend the whole day with it. So Mrs. Posthuma-Wiersma and I went out to play together that afternoon. She also wanted to learn how to photograph herself. She loves nature very much and it turned out she has a very good eye to capture that.”
A few photo’s made by mrs. Posthuma-Wiersma herself:
