ARTIST STATEMENT

Sometimes there even seems to be no other reality than the one of appearances; In a fraction of a second you get caught by this intriguing first glance of a person directed at you, like a vague spot on your clothing which suddenly appeared. You are looking and being observed at the same time, these moments are inescapable for my photographs and video work.

With a history in painting and drawing, I began to work with photography and video in 2005. This made it possible to explore the connection between personality and appearance on location. Since I remember I had this strong interest in the unpredictable behavior of people and the spheres they inhabit. I developed a natural sensitivity and curiosity for peculiar characters or suspicious situations. On the scene seemingly deserted places transform into ominous scenarios, making me aware of the presence of others and the way they choose to relate to their daily surroundings.

DOUBLE SCENE (NL, 2009)

Coming soon...

BLANCO (NL-NY, 2008)

Coming soon...

SLUMBER (NY, 2008)

" At night when I'm not asleep or awake; the sleep-mode of my computer is asking for attention. The small light goes on and off and on again... The walls of my dorm in midtown turn from dark to light and I worry the whole building is in-between." February 2008.

My recently finished project "Slumber" focuses on exerting complete control in the studio setting. I examine the psychological moment between active or passive, alive or dead, light or dark, visible or veiled, manic or depressed, freedom of expression or oppression. These photographs take into consideration the various colored values of a mental grey, symbolizing the bi-polar personality of the picturesque and two-dimensional frozen images of photographic model.

The actual definition of the word "Slumber" is relating to the phenomenon dormancy, the period in an organism's life cycle when growth, development and physical activity are temporarily suspended. With human beings, often it can seem if they got lost in their own netherworlds. My goal is to translate the stage of being in between mindfulness and senselessness, where the borders between reality and fiction are always crossing paths.

BACKYARD (NL / NY, 2007)

"My backyard is a graveyard; full of memories and traces we left behind." September 2007.

In the summer of 2007 I was concentrating on a series of still-lives, which I titled "backyard". I began to look for a peculiar object or content in my photographic frame, which shows more of the personal marks of people. Lost clothing, artificial colors in the landscape, plastic materials and signed lining on walls. I wondered if the persons would return to their traces or abandoned belongings. Sometimes I constructed an imaginary situation and added the objects, other times I discovered materials that are already at the scene, however always using the second skin of a person to create a new sculpture in my setting. I realized I caused misplacement myself by for example incorporating fabrics and paint into my photographs; because anyplace could be your personal backyard.

When I moved to New York at the end of August 2007; I searched for a space to work in. The city's architecture and its people are very well known for its documentation, that's why I personally longed for the green and desolate. I was happily surprised to find the silence and open space everywhere in the city and its suburbs. Out of the beautiful diversity of New York, I selected my still photographs. I hope to represent a universal approach to my direct environment, where it is not possible to trace the exact location of the scene where the photograph was visualized. (Photo Global).

PLACES&PERSONS (NL, 2007)

In June 2007 I presented my first book project "Places&Persons" within the framework of my graduation at the ArtEZ, Arnhem Academy of Art and Design (NL). For this publication I investigated individuals and their surroundings. I chose five models for close observation: each distinctive in their own way, but bound by peculiarities and their idiosyncratic personalities. I strived to capture both personality and appearance in these photographs: the connection between who they really are and how they want to be seen by others. An intense collaboration took place on location and in the studio, as a result of which I was able to decipher each subject's personal trademarks.