Exhibition Review: Paul Kooiker: Fashion

Untitled, 2021
Inkjet-Print, 77,3 x 58 cm, Museum Folkwang, Essen, © Paul Kooiker

Written by DieuLinh
Edited by Ben Blavat

Taking us through a walk back in time through all the different eras of Fashion, Kooiker opens up a dialogue revolving around the trends of each decade. With all of the images being untitled, perhaps this is Kooiker’s way of suggesting that Fashion is ever evolving, and all the snapshots in his exhibition are simply frozen moments in time, documenting the thought process that goes behind the evolution of Fashion throughout time.

Throughout the exhibition, Kooiker’s masterful play on perspective shines through and adds to the intrigue. In many ways, the bizarre angles and consistent anonymity throughout these images is reminiscent of a fashion staple: mannequins. Using these people as mere props for the clothing and accessories, the exhibition shifts the focus onto fashion – but more specifically, the exhibition now becomes a collection where different textiles, styling decisions, and angles of poses come into the limelight, henceforth accentuating the layers of creativity that is behind every article of clothing. 

Theater School. Training to Walk Gracefully, 1932, Gelatine silver print, 24,4 x 18 cm
Museum Folkwang, Essen, © Nachlass Museum Folkwang

The photos in the collection tend to be more subdued, with a few images in a nostalgic and vintage black and white – a decision that allows viewers to carefully inspect the different, albeit crucial, elements of fashion outside of colour: patterns, textures, and layers. The most assertive work is the one where the bold yellow of the subject’s veil dress directly contrasts with the complimentary soft lavender shade in the background. Not to mention, the shiny fabric of the high heel and the glimmering jewels juxtaposes the rough veil, whilst the matching colours lends an air of harmony. With the model’s face in a hazy blur, as if by a spur of movement, Kooiker adds to the poetic mystery of his collection all whilst forcing us all to focus on the composition and vibrant tones.

Untitled (Performance at BOF Voices), 2018
Inkjet-Print, 77,3 x 58 cm, Museum Folkwang, Essen, © Paul Kooiker

In the playful image of a woman posing in an ivory coloured bullet bra and tights, we are transported back to the 40s and 50s when the bullet bra first came into fashion. The exaggerated look and the subject’s suggestive figure juxtaposes the simplicity of the surroundings. With the bra in focus, unlike a lot of the blur and grain present in Kooiker’s other photographs, we get a close up of what many designers argue is the most important element of fashion: the details. 

In the monochrome image of a man in his suit, Kooiker’s minimalist approach to the photographs allows viewers to examine the mismatched pattern between the checkerboard stripes of the pants and vertical stripes of the vest jacket. The image is reminiscent of the early 1900s, where men tend to adorn striped suits and bowties, and a layer on top of the common white button down. This oversized suit adds an almost comical appeal to the look, with a large velvety bowtie that stands out from the remaining pallid layers. In this image, all are invited to peruse the unnatural and rigid pose of the subject – questioning whether the man is viewed, and used, as a mannequin, or simply stopping in his routine, Kooiker invites the viewer to explore the concept that fashion is more than the clothes itself. Instead, it is how the clothes are worn and pieced together that forms the comprehensive image of ‘Fashion’ itself.

Untitled , 2021, Inkjet-Print, 77,3 x 58 cm
Museum Folkwang, Essen, © Paul Kooiker

Paul Kooiker is a photographer from Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. He studied at the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague and the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam. He has held exhibitions internationally, with notable solo exhibitions including FOMU Fotomuseum, Antwerp (2018, BE), The Hague Museum of Photography (2014, NL), Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam (2009, NL), and the Foam Fotografiemuseum, Amsterdam (2006, NL). In 1996, he was awarded the Prix de Rome, the oldest and most generous award in the Netherlands for visual artists under the age of 40; in 2009, he was awarded the A. Roland Holst Prize. Kooiker has also had a number of publications: Utrecht Goitre (1999), Hunting and Fishing (1999), Showground (2004), Seminar (2006), Room Service (2008), Crush (2009), Sunday (2011) and Heaven (2012).