Rabobank Flower Art

When I was asked to create a series of commissioned fine art for Rabobank via Rienks/de Bont CS Architects Breda I didn't have to think twice. Interior architect Illse showed me around and had a specific request: with the building being very square and linear, the art had to be something completely different.

As I immediately had to think of using 'shapes of nature', being the opposite of squar and linear, I also was challenged. I didn't want to create just another panel with a close-up of a flower or landscape photo. Illse lent me a small book with old photos of the village, adding "it would be good to have some of the village's history present in the design as well".

The old photos were perfect for double exposures with flower close-ups. I wanted to use history and nature's beauty in one. History & Flowers was probably one of the first digital series of double exposures, which I created in 2005.

When I was studying fine art photography at the St. Joost Academy I already experimented a few times with exposing the same film twice. Rewinding the exposed film and marking it, as you can't see where the first photo begins, was always a bit of a gamnle. You can also put two negatives in the darkroom enlarger, a method called sandwich negative. Third analog option is to expose the photo paper twice with different negatives.

I used Photoshop, there weren't any double exposure apps available yet. In 2005 you couldn't take a decent photo with your smartphone, let alone retouch it. Also this was the time with the first digital DSLR's finally being good enough to shoot weddings with, or in this case, flower close-ups.

The result was overwhelming as the print size was wall size, 250x500 cm. (approx. 8x16 ft) During opening day I received a lot of positive reviews. And also this comment to the photo above: "wow, my mother was born in the house on the left, how very nice". It's good to use historic pictures in modern art, this way we remember our past. And adding beautiful flowers just tops it!

Double Exposure Design starts from €450,-

© Melanie E. Rijkers 2005-2016 Eyespiration

History & Flowers

History & Flowers Fine Art

Commissioned art work 'Belcrum' 3 pieces of 585x205 cm.
Mauritsstaete, van Rijckevorselstraat - Breda, the Netherlands.

Get your own digital design from € 750,- ex. VAT and printing.

Loving Vivian Maier

'Finding Vivian Maier' - Yesterday I finally watched the documentary. What a remarkable woman. I loved her work, right from the start, when this film wasn't made yet and Mr. Maloof was still searching for her. Her images are addictive and it's kind a funny that we (I assume most people who love her work feel this too) are waiting for new work to be published as kids waiting for Santa. Excited!!

It was good to see Mr. Maloof's work and effort, as I until now only read about in online. And how very funny that the kids she used to be the nanny of, gave such different destriptions of her. She must have been troubled by deeper thoughts, most likely something happened to her as a child and screwing her head up about men, and life in general too.

"I am a spy" she said. And she most likely meant it. She was a hoarder. Collecting sound (interviewing people in the supermarket) and 8mm film next to all the beautiful photos she took. She was a dark, closed person, but via her work she tells you who she is. It's sad she died poor, but when you learn about the tax payments cheques still being kept in her belongings, I think it's her screwed up head that most likely said "do not take that money from the government". She still lived a fairly free life, no husband, no kids.

Than the story about her newspapers, piles of them, OMG, you've seen people like this before on tv. And nothing may be thrown out, as "It's to be used later". The newspapers she collected were all about dark subjects too, crime, murder, rape. She was always looking for this darker side of society, like taking one of the girls she was babysitting to a slaughter house to take photos and film footage of. Or taking photos first, of the boy who got run over by a car, instead of comforting him being his nanny.

Poor woman. She must have felt not alone, but with too many. She most likely was a bit schitzo, but aren't we all?!? I don't think she felt alone, I think she was just scared. Scared of the big, angry world, and without a parent raising her not to be afraid, she turned out like this. All the kids still remember little off things she did. 'Accidents', but not really.

And she kept taking all these photos. She really was a ZIENer, like me. I see. She sees. It's not the camera, it's her vision. Her vision of the world. And in her case: the darker side of it. As if a lot of things she ran into (on the street) were crazy. To her, the world was a crazy place.

And I feel sad for her. I am a ZIENer who looks for the beauty in life, happiness is there, on every corner, but people don't SEE (it). I can tell you how to see and get positive energy from life, not to be scared of it. The Miksang Contemplative Photography I now teach, helps people to see the positive side of the crazy, mad world. I wish I could've talked to her 20 years ago. I wish I could've inspired her to lighten up, just a little.

The two best moments of the documentary for me were the photos of her world trip, that selfie of her, standing on deck, of a sea ship. That was the first real happy photo of her, with a SMILE and happiness in her eyes. As in a lot of the other selfies she's looking away, or she looks into the camera with that troubled view... Dear Vivian, what on earth was troubling you? What happened that you turned out this dark? Abandoned by her family, or maybe even assaulted?

I wish she could've seen the shows that are here now, with all of her photos. I think the reaction of people to her work would've brightened her day, her mind, her soul. The second best moment of the documentary is the moment in that little French village of her, where her work is exhibited and this fragile, very old lady sees her (diseased) husband in one of the photos. Heart breaking, the way she reacts. And for her daughter who's witnessing this too, a priceless moment! This is a moment they will never forget and think back of with nothing but joy and happiness. Positive energy.

Vivian, you can make people feel like this. I can make people feel like this. It's a gift and I feel sad you weren't able to witness the effect your pictures have on the public. People are moved by your work. It's a valuable historic document, but it's also a very good vision of this crazy world.

Vivian, I love you. I hope you have now found the peace you were looking for. 

Thank you for showing us the world from your eyes.

One of my own 'Vivian Maier' street photos - selfie at Venice Beach 2014

Impressed by impressionism

Claude Monet - Sunrise - Soleil Levant 1872

My love for photography wasn't always so. My 'creative career' started as highschool student at the Peelland College in Deurne (the Netherlands) with drawing (2D), music and 3D as subjects. In 3rd grade I chose to go to HAVO and was allowed to keep one of the above creative subjects as one of my 6 dissertation subjects.

Drawing/2D, as I found out I was a good designer and painter, mostly aquarel. The art history lessons were my favorite. [I wasn't allowed to choose a seventh subject, which would've been history]

Being only 16 when I passed my exams in June 1988, I figured to go study at an Art Academy and become a graphic designer of some sort. But both the academies I applied to thought I was too young and therefor I had to think of a 'temporary' solution; Graphic Design School Sint Lucas, which would take me 4 years with graduating at MBO level.

In the end these four years turned out to be an advantage, as it gave me four extra years of art education. I was introduced to photography here and after graduation MBO Graphic Design, I started my art education at the highest level, HBO, at the St. Joost Academy in Breda, main subject: photography.

Art history times three and never bored, even though there was some repetition of periods of time by different teachers of the three schools. During college I was introduced to Monet by my Dutch language teacher Vierhout, I think that was the moment I fell in love with Impressionism.

Looking back my love of the Impressionism is quite logical, being a photographer capturing the moment. I chose photography over graphic design and painting/drawing. But my love for Vincent (van Gogh) and Claude (Monet) never faded. In 2015 it's 125 years ago that Vincent died.

Wheatfield with Crows - Vincent van Gogh 1890

See like Vincent - Palms, Australia - analog photograph, 1998

Holland or the Netherlands?

The difference between Holland and the Netherlands!

Black Pete (Afro-Dutchman)

Zwarte Piet - MOTI - Black Pete, our own Dutch Afro-Spanish helper of Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas)

Season bound discussions. Every year, when the first snowflakes fall from wintery skies, the collaboration between the Dutch Railway companies Nederlandse Spoorwegen (Dutch Railways) and ProRail is being doubted. Around the same time, the possibly racial phenomenon Zwarte Piet is argued about.

Zwarte Piet means Black Pete, who is the black helper of Sinterklaas, the Dutch version of Santa Claus. Opponents of Zwarte Piet often refer to the phenomenon ‘blackface’, which is creating a stereotype of a black person. In the United States of America, stereotypes were eagerly used in theaters and films from 1830 until the 1960’s. Caucasian men painted themselves black and then acted out a caricature of a black person. Prejudices such as dumb, lazy, deceitful, coward and thief were often interwoven in the character. Below is a film of a so called ‘blackface performance’. The use of the stereotype of a black person can be found all over the world. According to opponents of Zwarte Piet, the Dutch version of a blackface performance can be found in this children’s holiday.

Proponent of holding on to Zwarte Piet, want to honor a national tradition and claim that Sinterklaas is a holiday for children. Children are not concerned about the color of the skin of Zwarte Piet or any prejudices concerning his appearance. Proponents also claim that Zwarte Piet is no slave or caricature, but a chimney sweeper. His black color could also be caused by climbing up and down all those chimneys, in order to deliver all those gifts to the children. Zwarte Piet is no more than a silly help of Sinterklaas, who brings gifts and candy to kids. Another pragmatically argument is the fun of having a neighbor or uncle dressed up unrecognizably to children. This discussion will probably blow over after the 5th of December, the official holiday en will be renewed the following year.

Source: MOTI.

I don't agree Sinterklaas is the 'Dutch version of Santa Claus', as Santa Claus is the American version of Sinterklaas! Check out Wikipedia to read more about this Dutch cultural figure, once said to be flying in the sky over New York (as steamboats were old-fashioned) being the predecessor of Santa :)