Most likely, it won’t come as a surprise to you that August Sander is a source of inspiration for my work. For those unfamiliar: this German photographer systematically documented German society over a century ago, organizing his subjects into seven main groups and countless subgroups. His categorizations—like ‘Die letzten Menschen’ (including the ‘blind and deaf’) or ‘Die Frau’—would likely be considered controversial today. Yet, from an art-historical and antropological perspective, his work remains groundbreaking and iconic.

Sometimes, you capture a photo that seems to reference the oeuvre of one of your predecessors. My first book, ‘Communism & Cowgirls’, opened with a nod to Diane Arbus, and my second, ‘Roots of the Rúntur’, to William Eggleston. I wasn’t deliberately seeking to remake their work—it just happened during the project, and perhaps, consciously or unconsciously, I responded to a situation I recognized. For whet ever reason, I stopped including these visual references at the start of my books. For The Europeans, though, I have one ready. Last February, Arnold van Bruggen and I were in Slovenia at dawn, visiting a group of hunters who, after some schnapps and sausage, joined volunteers working the land. We were in a rush, and I took random portraits against a background that was overwhelmingly beautiful. As I was already heading back to the car, this trio suddenly appeared in front of my lens. Somewhere in the back of my mind, that famous August Sander photo (here on the left) flashed by.

This work—including the rare catalog—is now temporarily available in a limited edition of 33 copies (28 x 35 cm) for €150.