Maria

The ninth photo book from documentary photographer Martijn van de Griendt. A book about the girl Maria from Eindhoven, also the photographer’s birth town. He spoke to her in 2007 in the City Hall Square (Stadhuisplein) in Eindhoven and then took polaroid photos of her through the subsequent nine years. Due to her special story, the photographer decided to buy a film camera and thus also to record moving images of Maria. Ten years later there is a film and a photo book.

Martijn van de Griendt: ‘I met Maria in the street in Eindhoven when I was taking photos for my photo book Smokin’ Boys Smokin’ Girls, about youths who smoke cigarettes. But Maria (18) was smoking cannabis. I talked to her and quickly felt that there was a special story within this photogenic girl. She was adopted from Brazil as a baby, experienced problems with her adoptive parents, ran away from home and was placed in a youth institution at the age of eleven. She became involved with drugs, made the wrong friends and became a mother at 16 years old.’

Van de Griendt photographed Maria on polaroid because of this unique, vulnerable material. It fits with Maria’s story. He did not want to focus in on all the problems, but on Maria the person.