Nocturne

NOCTURNE In this dream-like sequence the images seem to emerge from a moonlit inscape and follow a logic that eludes our grasp. Juul Kraijer’s practice draws upon Surrealist photography, using still lifes, animals and models as vehicles for ideas rather than documentation or portraits. In particular, the photographs in which she incorporates swans, snakes and other creatures subvert the traditional hierarchies between human and animal. In a situation that would normally arouse anxiety, the model preserves a stillness and grace reminiscent of Renaissance portraiture, further evoking a sense of an otherworldly, dream-like space through real encounters that border on the surreal. Moreover, the stark images resist any specific time or context, conveying a sense of the eternal. The photographs that make up this series were mostly made between 2018 and 2023.