GONE by Kees Muizelaar
I used to play with toy trucks, though I was never really interested in them. When I was a little older I moved on to drawing cars and trucks. I started to look much better at trucks so that I could make nice drawings of them. I was captured by this large machine, much bigger, much tougher, and much more beautiful than any other thing on the road.Then my interest in these large machines disappeared again and I moved on to other passions. But a few years ago, my old interest returned. This time I was captivated especially by the people at the wheel. Who chooses this profession and why? Who chooses a lonely existence and only a cabin that travels with you everywhere you go? Long, often irregular hours and much time away from home – what is it that moves someone to choose this?
In order to find out, I photographed them for a year at truck stops, diners, and in parking lots. I met many people and went to places that seemed to come right out of an old picture book. I noticed that many truck drivers isolate themselves and live in their own worlds. The only social contact they have is during loading and unloading, or in diners. Many truck drivers sit alone in these diners, staring out in front of them as if they’re still at the wheel. They’re waiting until their mandatory break is over so that they can continue. Or they have a quick beer before they disappear in the dark.
I have tried to capture this image, I have tried to catch the essence of the trucker in images. It has been a journey that needs no further words, a journey that has only fanned my fascination for this profession.
Kees Muizelaar lives and works in Zwolle (Overijssel), The Netherlands.
To view more of Kees' work, please visit his website.
