In the fringes of UNSEEN 2024 #5
Jeff Cowen & Vincent van Gogh –at van Gogh museum till 13 october (images 1-5)
A new small scale presentation of recent work by artist Jeff Cowen (b. 1966 in New York) opens at the Van Gogh Museum. He created these works in the region of Provence in southern France. Vincent van Gogh lived in this area from 1888 to 1890 and was moved by the brilliant light and the beauty of nature. Now, in work made more than 130 years later, Cowen has also captured the sense of wonder evoked by Provence.
Cowen uses photography to convey his connection with the landscape. He makes large analogue prints on thick photographic paper and experiments with the chemicals that he uses for the photographic development process. Cowen’s photography includes all traditional art historical genres, such as still life, landscape and portrait. For him, these genres form an allegory of the region.
Simultaneously with this presentation, Huis Marseille, Museum for Photography in Amsterdam presents an exhibition of photographic works by Cowen, including new images of the Provence region of southern France. Guest curator for Provence Works at Huis Marseille is Sara Tas, Associate Curator at the Van Gogh Museum.
Jeff Cowen (b. 1966 in New York) grew up on New York’s Upper West Side and studied Oriental Studies at NY University & Waseda University in Tokyo. In the 1990s, he studied at the Arts Student League and the New York Studio School, where he learned drawing and painting. This is when he became interested in the interweaving of painting and photography. To him, the photographic image is never the end result but rather a starting point for his artistic reflection on the motif. His analogue prints, developed with the use of a range of chemicals, are often post-processed using painting and collage techniques. Cowen has lived in Europe since 2001. In 2021, he received a Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant for his Provence Works.
Van Gogh Museum
Museumplein 6, Amsterdam, NL
https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/visit/whats-on#exhibitions
In the fringes of UNSEEN 2024 #6
Eddo Hartmann Festival Frenzy Rijksmuseum (but only from september 27!!) (images 6-12)
The Rijksmuseum is a must-see destination in Amsterdam, but just not during UNSEEN… The photo gallery is being made up for a new exhibition, and the new temporary exhibition only runs from 27 September until 12 January 2025. Still, an announcement.
Festival Frenzy
Festivals are important cultural venues in the Netherlands where millions of visitors find freedom in a temporary world. Fields and natural areas are transformed into a miniature city in a short time, complete with plastic paving, all kinds of amenities and a temporary currency. For this edition of Document Netherlands, Eddo Hartmann focuses on the culture and architecture of festivals. His focus is specifically on the individual experience that forms a sharp contrast to massiveness. By applying various techniques such as extremely long shutter speeds, Hartmann manipulates time and makes it seem as if the crowd is absorbed into its surroundings. He isolates different individuals in his photographs, from festival-goers completely in their element to people looking for a moment of calm.
Eddo Hartmann
Eddo Hartmann (1973) is known for his magical-realist, sometimes alienating photographs that address social issues. Previous series include his childhood home (Here Lives My Home, 2008-12), Pyongyang as a backdrop for socialist propaganda (Setting the Stage, 2014-17) and parts of the world sacrificed for nuclear testing (The Sacrifice Zone, 2019-23).
Rijksmuseum
Museumstraat 1, Amsterdam, Netherlands
www.rijksmuseum.nl/en
John Devos
