Bertien Van Manen
dal 1/3/2013 al 2/4/2013
Segnalato da
1/3/2013
Bertien Van Manen
Galerie Gabriel Rolt, Amsterdam
Easter and oak trees. Two recent projects: a series of never-before-seen, black-and-white photos from the personal family archive, along with a selection of works from the series Let's sit down before we go.
Galerie Gabriel Rolt is proud to present its first solo exhibition of works by
legendary Dutch photographer Bertien van Manen. The show will feature her two most
recent projects: a series of never-before-seen, black-and-white photos from her
personal family archive, shot in the 1970s, along with a selection of works from the
series, “Let’s sit down before we go,” color images she took in the former Soviet
Union from 1991 to 2009.
Van Manen (1942) is known for her unpolished documentary-style fine art photography,
which captures strangers with the kind of intimacy usually reserved for family
snapshots. That’s why it’s particularly thrilling, in this exhibition, to pair a
recent series of her shots from her travels with photographs that were in fact taken
of her own family in the 1970s.
The black-and-white images from the ’70s feature images of her own children,
climbing trees in the park, dancing with their father, and swimming nude in a lake.
They reveal a beautiful sense of innocence and security from a time that was more
relaxed and seemingly carefree. Van Manen recently revisited these images at the
urging of her own children, who are now adults.
The images from “Let’s sit down before we go,” which was originally exhibited at
FOAM photography museum in Amsterdam in 2012, depict similarly casual scenes from
daily life in Russia, Moldavia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Tatarstan and
Georgia, where Van Manen travelled extensively. She spent a great deal of time
getting to know the people she photographed, often learning their language and
developing friendships.
Van Manen has been the subject of numerous solo and group exhibitions and her work
is included in major international collections such as Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam),
Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), The Museum of Modern Art (New York), The Metropolitan
Museum of Art (New York), Maison Européenne de la Photographie (Paris) and The
Metropolitan Museum of Photographie (Tokyo). She lives and works in Amsterdam.
Press
Rhiannon Pickles, e-mail rhiannonpickles@mac.com
Opening Reception: Saturday 02 March 2013
Book Presentation: Easter and Oak Trees (Mack) 17.00 — 19.30 hrs
Galerie Gabriel Rolt
Elandsgracht 34, Amsterdam
Hours: Wednesday — Saturday or by appointment
12.00 — 18.00 hrs
Free Admission