Two American examples

Closely related to Ennou’s work, two American artists come to mind as a source of inspiration: Ennou mentions William Eggleston, a photographer mainly known for his pioneering work in color photography, and Edward Hopper, who painted scenes pervaded by psychological tension and socially isolated figures. What makes these two American artists so interesting for the Moroccan-Dutch artist on a quest for a sense of belonging? 

Colour taking the lead

One of the first things that stand out in Sometimes Here, Sometimes There, is Ennou’s emphasis on color, light, shape, and shadows. By accentuating these, Ennou photographs a reality that is reminiscent of film sets. Depending on the location (Morocco or the Netherlands), the colors differ from deep blue to bright orange and pink, and from the warm orange light of the south to the bright grey light of the north. These colors evoke a world discovered by photographers such as William Eggleston in the 1960s. Eggleston was one of the first photographers to experiment with color photography as art. In a similar way to Ennou, Eggleston photographed everyday subjects that were part of the daily life of a U.S. citizen in the 1960s. Motels, petrol stations, dinners, and cars, but also landscapes were given the characteristic vibrant tones from deep yellow to cyan. 

The American Dream

The dinners, the highways, and the cars in Eggleston’s work reflect the idea of the American Dream. Today, this dream still appeals to many of us, or as Judeo-Iraqi cultural critic Ella Shohat remarked in Babel and Babylon: Living and Thinking Diaspora (2010): “Anglo-American culture became a kind of third space for me, an imaginary homeland, which transcended my own two languages. But the phantasmatic space of “America” often associated with the Hollywood dream factory and the American Dream, was for me associated with the 1960s.” Muhcine Ennou was also caught by this dream: in 2015, he was invited by the U.S. Embassy in Rabat to follow a visual arts program overseas. For him, it was a dream coming true, a confirmation of the glamour and the riches. 

Psychological tension

There is, however, also a downside to the dream life. A certain feeling of loneliness remains present in the work of Ennou, as it radiates a certain distance. The subjects of the series Sometimes Here, Sometimes There are often straightforward: buildings, vehicles, parks, chairs. They are occupied or lived in, but human presence is hard to find. The few people that are existent in Ennou’s work, seem to be deeply absorbed in their own thoughts and worlds. This minor human presence, together with the isolated objects and architecture, reinforces the feeling of loneliness and solitude even more. It is this cinematographic atmosphere that connects Ennou’s work with the work of Edward Hopper.  

While Egglestone’s photography is straightforward American, Edward Hopper saw his paintings as more than a manifestation of the American aesthetic experience. They were the expression of his “inner experience”, as he described it. The figures in his work all seem to be alone in their thoughts; isolated beings in a world that demands financial, romantic, and social success.

These figures are placed in places of transit: hotel rooms, road-side diners, and late-night cafes. They seem to be continuously on the road, in the absence of a place where they can leave their fears behind. This again connects to the situation of Ennou, which translates directly to his work. As he was traveling between Morocco and The Netherlands, the buildings, vehicles, parks, and chairs he photographed became anonymous and transient. They were memorized in the photos as objects of appreciation, wonder, and observation.

Where do we land?

The two American artists connect to the different levels of observational awareness present in Muhcine Ennou’s work. William Eggleston’s color photographs show us a dreamlike world in saturated hues, capturing color as the protagonist in the social-economical play of the U.S. in the 1960s and 70s. Ennou’s use of color, light, shapes, and shadows, endorse this leading role for formal aspects to tell a story. The slight alienation we feel however when looking at his pictures are reflected in his inspiration found in Edward Hopper’s paintings.

The two early 20th century artists represent the feeling of being on the road, a detachment from a home. Similar to these two artists, who portrayed anonymous diners and highways, Ennou also captured many unidentified situations and places, as he was moving around the world. As today’s world demands all kinds of success, there is a desire for a ‘home’, a place to land or to belong to. Muhcine Ennou shows us with Belanden, that even in uncertain times, one can find peace in showing acts of appreciation and observation, opening up the world as a place for contemplation and wonder.