Shady Moments

We are a pair of artists who have been presenting our work under a composite name since 1997. We prefer to work without a preconceived plan or subject. We each select fragments of images from a digitalized library we built up over the years, then, independently from each other, we each start to investigate whether the selected image-fragments can be composed into a concept for a new work. We frequently exchange the works so that one continues where the other has left off. It is an intuitive way of working in which we are equal, depending heavily on each other's critical vision. When eventually an image-concept is truly convincing, we can jointly develop it further. The reasons for working in black and white are manifold. First of all, we want our work to be midway between photography and drawing or painting. We also value the contrast between advanced computer techniques and the slightly nostalgic feel of black and white images, enabling us to increase the distance between art and reality. As our work deals with the fundamental aspects of human existence, be it man or woman, sexual identity is not our issue. Ambiguity, however, is very important for us, as it creates room for interpretation and identification. In the end, we opt to omit meaningful titles and expository texts because we feel these steer the perception of the spectator. As creation, identity and freedom are considered fundamental human needs, art should contain a healthy element of differentiation. As artists, we feel the challenge to reflect in a visual way our view of a complicated world. After that, the interpretation of our work is up to the beholder. —Schilte & Portielje