Anouk Kruithof’s latest photo series “Becoming Blue” comprises 21 portraits and three spatial stills. They are presented in different formats and reveal Kruithof’s highly exceptional approach to the topic of portrait photography.
First, the artist addressed those people that she found most individual and particularly expressive and persuaded them to participate in a photo session – wearing an item of blue clothing of their own choice. During the extended sessions, Anouk Kruithof did not usually work behind the camera but in the rest of the room, frequently pressing the trigger by remote control or with the aid of a timer.
At the same time, she made constant but minor physical interventions to influence the person being portrayed, so that her photos capture the subjects’ gestures and facial expressions in reaction to irritation or stress. In Kruithof’s work, the photo production process follows intuitive criteria; the portraits are created on the basis of continual interaction between the artist and the person to be portrayed.
Traditionally, the colour blue dominant in these works is associated with the sky and the ocean, wide open spaces, infinity and a meditative calm. The poses and gestures of the persons portrayed obviously contradict such associations – a stylistic means that Kruithof deliberately chooses in order to visualise different emotional and psychological states during a process of surprise or even confrontation.
In Studio 2, Anouk Kruithof is presenting a special spatial concept including her portraits together with a projection and a book sculpture, which immediately captivates the viewer with the sheer beauty of its colours.