A plastic bag, a vacuum cleaner hose, or a piece of aluminum foil. That's all you need, Hendrik Kerstens seems to say through his photographs. A cake border becomes a collar, a lampshade turns into a hat. This Dutch photographer plays with the codes of 17th-century portrait painting, where everyday life was elevated to the status of art.
The photos Kerstens took of his daughter Paula to document her childhood have become world-famous icons. The series in which she plays the leading role increasingly evokes the old game in front of the mirror, where we constantly experiment with new looks, styles, and roles. Paula, now an adult, is today the director of her own image. And the Kerstens, now a family business, continue to reinvent themselves every day.
W Books, 2023
192 pages
11 × 9 inches
ISBN: 978-9462585577
A plastic bag, a vacuum cleaner hose, or a piece of aluminum foil. That's all you need, Hendrik Kerstens seems to say through his photographs. A cake border becomes a collar, a lampshade turns into a hat. This Dutch photographer plays with the codes of 17th-century portrait painting, where everyday life was elevated to the status of art.
The photos Kerstens took of his daughter Paula to document her childhood have become world-famous icons. The series in which she plays the leading role increasingly evokes the old game in front of the mirror, where we constantly experiment with new looks, styles, and roles. Paula, now an adult, is today the director of her own image. And the Kerstens, now a family business, continue to reinvent themselves every day.
W Books, 2023
192 pages
11 × 9 inches
ISBN: 978-9462585577
