Photos of copper plates in Amersfoort
This month, my work is exhibited in the building of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) in Amersfoort. The photos of historical copper plates can be admired in the library. The exhibition is organized on the occasion of the presentation of the research report on the Copper Plates Wreck: “RAM281 Koper, containers en concreties, waarderend onderzoek en opgraving van het Koperplatenwrak”.
I am delighted that my photos are shown in this building, as some of them were also created here. This reminded me of the creative process during the strict restrictions around Covid-19 in 2020. In the deserted building, we could use a spacious meeting room as a studio, resulting in an inspiring collaboration with Laura Grimm who assisted me.
The necessity of limitations in artistic work
The copper plates, transformed by the sea in a range of fascinating colors. Of course I had to show that, but otherwise, I could use my creativity freely. As beautiful as they are, the copper plates are not compliant; they are heavy, spiky, and inflexible. Luckily, creativity seem to work well in combination with limitations.
Most of the photos in this small exhibition represent the copper plates in their physical form, stacked on pallets, but two of the works give a glimpse of the second part of the series, in which the copper plates are used to create imaginary spaces.
Working with constraints has always stimulated my creativity. “Playing with light is one of the primary tools for evoking atmosphere and spatiality as a photographer, and by fully embracing this technique, I have become skilled in photographing art. The research report (in Dutch) is available for download on the RCE website. I am certainly very curious about all the findings regarding this unique discovery.