ELSPETH DIEDERIX
Provenance : donated by the artist
Literature : Selected publicationsFlip Bool [et al.], Dutch Eyes. Nieuwe geschiedenis van de fotografie in Nederland, Zwolle: Waanders 2007Selected public and corporate collectionsAkzo Nobel Art Foundation, NL • De Nederlandse Bank, NL • AMC Kunstcollectie, NL • Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, NL
Notes : Elspeth Diederix's photographs typically blend contrasting elements of the banal and the absurd, the rich colour palette and the perfection of the photo – which would not exist without enormous patience and dedication. 'I don't use special lighting – a flash at most. And I use an analogue camera, a heavy Pentax 6x7 that still goes 'clack'. I love that camera! It's so easy to adjust the focus in the viewfinder and you get exactly what you see in the photo.'One of the main elements that her portraits have in common is that all faces are hidden behind an object – in this photo, it's a red bag that's clasped between the person's cheek and a window. 'I'm always aware of litter. To me plastic bags are a thing of beauty, not ugliness. The material's almost transparent and exists in a sort of limbo because it's something people barely notice.' Diederix strips objects of their usual meaning and their original surroundings, setting them within a new reality.Elspeth Diederix was resident artist at the Rijksakademie in 1998-1999.She won the first prize of the 2002 Prix de Rome (NL).www.elspethdiederix.com
