Maarten van Schaik
21 Jul - 03 Sep 2006
Maarten van Schaik
Las Vegas
21 July to 3 September 2006
From 21 July to 3 September Amsterdam’s photography museum Foam presents a series of monumental photos by Dutch photographer Maarten van Schaik (b. 1973, Gouda) taken recently in Las Vegas. Van Schaik focuses in his work on places which can best be described as non-spaces: a corner of a room, a pipe on a wall, the back of a sofa or part of a pavement. It is less about the place itself than the atmosphere and mood which it emanates. A characteristic of his work is its meticulous composition in which natural light, colour, line and surface areas play an essential role. Van Schaik’s tranquil, timeless photography invites contemplation.
In his photography Maarten van Schaik finds an unprecedented beauty in places most people walk by without noticing. A wall on which the light glances aesthetically or the reflection of the evening sun on glimmering wood can catch his eye and lead to a photo. As Maarten van Schaik remarks characteristically: ‘seeing the importance of the seemingly unimportant’.
Often it is the effect of the light that draws his attention. Light can change the appearance and character of an object. Van Schaik attempts to capture this phenomenon in carefully planned compositions where balance, equilibrium and harmony are crucial. The images in his photos often set the mind working because Van Schaik rarely includes information about where the picture was taken. Colours, lines and areas are the dominant elements in his compositions. There is something abstract about his work which connects Van Schaik to the world of painting. Yet it would be unfair to judge his work solely on its formal merits. His subtle manipulation of atmosphere, suggestion and effect is equally important.
Ever since Van Schaik graduated at Amsterdam’s Gerrit Rietveld Academie in 1997 his work has been widely exhibited. He has shown photos at Galerie Van Zoetendaal (2001, 2002, 2003), Galerie 21⁄2 bij 41⁄2 (1999, 2001) and Amsterdams Centrum voor Fotografie (2006) in Amsterdam. Abroad he has exhibited at Paris Photo in Paris (2002, 2004) and at the Style Cube in Seoul (2005). He has also worked for Volkskrant Magazine, De Groene Amsterdammer, Het Parool, Esquire and Rails. He has made cd covers for Green Lizard, Trockener Kecks, Coparck, Nevada Drive and Kirsten. In 2003 he published a book under his own name entitled ‘Dromen van Europa’ (Dreams of Europe). In the same year he received one of his largest commissions, to photograph the building of the Queen Mary at Saint Nazaire.
With thanks to Willem van Zoetendaal Collections, Amsterdam.
‘Las Vegas’ by Maarten van Schaik can be seen from 21 July to 3 September 2006 at Foam Photography Museum Amsterdam. Open daily 10.00-17.00, Thurs/Fri 10.00-21.00.
© Foto: Maarten van Schaik, Las Vegas 2005
Las Vegas
21 July to 3 September 2006
From 21 July to 3 September Amsterdam’s photography museum Foam presents a series of monumental photos by Dutch photographer Maarten van Schaik (b. 1973, Gouda) taken recently in Las Vegas. Van Schaik focuses in his work on places which can best be described as non-spaces: a corner of a room, a pipe on a wall, the back of a sofa or part of a pavement. It is less about the place itself than the atmosphere and mood which it emanates. A characteristic of his work is its meticulous composition in which natural light, colour, line and surface areas play an essential role. Van Schaik’s tranquil, timeless photography invites contemplation.
In his photography Maarten van Schaik finds an unprecedented beauty in places most people walk by without noticing. A wall on which the light glances aesthetically or the reflection of the evening sun on glimmering wood can catch his eye and lead to a photo. As Maarten van Schaik remarks characteristically: ‘seeing the importance of the seemingly unimportant’.
Often it is the effect of the light that draws his attention. Light can change the appearance and character of an object. Van Schaik attempts to capture this phenomenon in carefully planned compositions where balance, equilibrium and harmony are crucial. The images in his photos often set the mind working because Van Schaik rarely includes information about where the picture was taken. Colours, lines and areas are the dominant elements in his compositions. There is something abstract about his work which connects Van Schaik to the world of painting. Yet it would be unfair to judge his work solely on its formal merits. His subtle manipulation of atmosphere, suggestion and effect is equally important.
Ever since Van Schaik graduated at Amsterdam’s Gerrit Rietveld Academie in 1997 his work has been widely exhibited. He has shown photos at Galerie Van Zoetendaal (2001, 2002, 2003), Galerie 21⁄2 bij 41⁄2 (1999, 2001) and Amsterdams Centrum voor Fotografie (2006) in Amsterdam. Abroad he has exhibited at Paris Photo in Paris (2002, 2004) and at the Style Cube in Seoul (2005). He has also worked for Volkskrant Magazine, De Groene Amsterdammer, Het Parool, Esquire and Rails. He has made cd covers for Green Lizard, Trockener Kecks, Coparck, Nevada Drive and Kirsten. In 2003 he published a book under his own name entitled ‘Dromen van Europa’ (Dreams of Europe). In the same year he received one of his largest commissions, to photograph the building of the Queen Mary at Saint Nazaire.
With thanks to Willem van Zoetendaal Collections, Amsterdam.
‘Las Vegas’ by Maarten van Schaik can be seen from 21 July to 3 September 2006 at Foam Photography Museum Amsterdam. Open daily 10.00-17.00, Thurs/Fri 10.00-21.00.
© Foto: Maarten van Schaik, Las Vegas 2005