Ellen Kooi (Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, 1962) is one of the most prominent contemporary landscape photographers in Europe. Her cinematic images present a contemporary interpretation on the classic theme of “figure in landscape”, exploring the conflictive relationship between people and their environment. While Ellen continues to draw our attention to the beauty and diversity of the Dutch countryside, the atmosphere in her new works is more urgent than before. The artist confronts us with the fact that everything is finite. Not only will these models lose their youth and beauty and will the seasons change, but with the way we are treating our planet, nature is being severely damaged. Let’s enjoy these landscapes here now, but let’s be more conscious of the fragility of our surroundings.
The photographs reference different periods in art history: Dutch 17th-century painting can be recognised in that transparent light, and the insignificance of man in relation to nature -and therefore to God- is reminiscent of the German Romanticism of the 19th century. While historically, both artists and models were mostly men, Ellen consciously uses female protagonists in her scenes that are carefully composed and lit, which are based on personal experiences. Sometimes, her models are positioned to become one with the landscape, while others pose to cause friction with the environment. The viewer is invited to interpret the relationship between person and nature, or interior and exterior, from his very own narratives.
A good number of photographs by Ellen show some of the consequences of the human treatment of the planet today. The piece “Rode Lagune” presents a dried-up lagoon, while “Den Helder – hoog water” shows a group of people trapped on an island due to high water. A human might be insignificant and vulnerable in the context of overwhelming nature, but humankind has the power to either destroy or preserve it. Ellen‘s artworks are a call to reconnect with our environment.
Curated by Juan Curto.
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Contact us for availability and price of the artworks on (+34) 91 429 17 34 or e-mail juan@camaraoscura.net
Activity supported by the Dutch Embassy in Madrid.
