'Questions of development reflect our culture in a way that is so visual that it can force itself upon a photographer. The permanent friction in Dutch culture between the urge to control the process of change and the usually rather uncompromising or surprising practice has become my point of reference.

Some of my books are about the places where I lived: Territorium and Eiland 7. In these books I combine my photos with my own texts. It's too personal to outsource that. In other projects I asked journalists or writers to contribute their work: Bouwlust and Snelweg. Some books have been made in collaboration with my friend and colleague Cary Markerink: Nagele , Snelweg and Nagele [revisited].

I see the photo book as an ideal form of presentation of my work. I like the strict form, and the rigid context.'

Theo Baart (Amsterdam in 1957)