Untitled Carcy 2019 archival ink on rag paper 114 x 86 cm © Courtesy tegenboschvanvreden

Written by Trip Avis

Photo Edited by Kelly Woodyard

An admiration for each other’s art catalyzes A Hand Not Seen, the exhibition of work by photographer Paul Kooiker alongside painter Marenne Welten. The duo presentation is displayed at the Amsterdam gallery Tegenboschvanvreden from February 10th to March 23rd, 2024. Pairing photography and painting promotes thought-provoking questions on the relationship between the two art forms. Mainly, one traditionally captures reality while the other interprets it. Despite their differences in medium, both Kooiker and Welten are interested in falsifying: “distorting and simultaneously intensifying reality.” Painting inherently falsifies reality. It can never completely capture the world as photography can. Ultimately, it is refracted by the artist’s uniquely human and biased perspective.

On the other hand, as a photographer, falsifying is almost rebellious to the medium. Instead of portraying an absolute truth, manipulating the image of reality makes it not unlike painting. It imbues the image with intimacy and individuality beyond simple representation. At first glance, it may be challenging to recognize the nuances in structure and composition that bridge the gap between the two mediums. However, that correlation between photography and painting is brought to the forefront as you savor each image's texture, shading, blurring, and deliberate obscuring. These techniques serve as the photographer’s manipulation of reality.

Untitled (D Repubblica) 2022 archival ink on rag peper 57 x 42 cm © Courtesy of tegenboschvanvreden

In Kooiker’s D Repubblica, a lone male figure in a slimly-cut, double-breasted suit leans against a wall. Something about his pose suggests a store mannequin. His arms are lifted stiffly in an imitation of real life. The patterning on his suit is reminiscent of chalk shading, with a black shroud obscuring his face. Kooiker has taken the reality of the man and manipulated it, posing and texturing him, stripping him of facial features. Uncomfortably, he treads the line between human and artifice, expressing an uncanny effect through the photograph.

The Rumour XIX 2020 archival ink on rag paper 57 x 42 cm © Courtesy of tegenboschvanvreden

Kooiker continues falsifying reality with The Rumor XIX, utilizing a donkey as his living subject. Despite the proximity, Kooiker deliberately blurs the portrait. In effect, he gives the animal a fuzzy, ethereal glow. The image has a soft, impressionistic composition reminiscent of a painting. The details are rooted in reality: the patterns of ruffled hairs glinting in the light, the liquid depth of the eye. Yet, through blurring the image, they become a dreamy interpretation from the photographer's mind—rather than an honest rendering.

Untitled (CERO) 2022 archival ink on rag apper 57 x 42 cm © Courtesy of tegenboschvanvreden

Lastly, CERO is another photograph that cleverly toys with the viewer’s perception of the subject. A disembodied portrait of a smiling young woman, the picture beckons the viewer to question the reality of what is seen and withheld. Her features are exaggerated due to the extreme proximity to the subject. A candied gloss veneer lacquers her lips, and the stark enamel white of her teeth contrasts the darkness of her mouth. The hazy composition of the image gives her skin a faint, otherworldly glow. Furthermore, what is intriguing is what the photograph suggests yet doesn’t confirm. Her face is framed by what appears to be a white hood but is ultimately open to the viewer’s interpretation. Could it be a wig or the woman’s straight, flaxen hair? The stiff white collar suggests a nun’s habit, but it is impossible to know.

Untitled (Dust) 2021 archival ink on rag paper 52 x 42 cm © Courtesy of tegenboschvanvreden

Paul Kooiker’s work not only pushes the boundaries of the photographic medium but also reshapes our collective understanding of photography. By carefully manipulating each image, Kooiker presents us with his vibrant reality, shaped by perception, and as the viewer, asks us to do the same.