from the series New Life, 2011-present
image © MAURICE VAN ES

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It’s that time of the year again: the city of Arles in France is hosting its photography festival. For this year’s edition, Dutch artist, photography collector and curator ERIK KESSELS has gathered a series of works from Dutch photographers who are best known for documenting, with a certain obsession, details of their direct surroundings.

As part of KESSELS‘ selection is the work of MAURICE VAN ES with the series Textures of Childhood (2012) and New Life (2011-present) which is presented above. Since 2011 he is photographing his brother when he leaves the familial house; a moment MAURICE chose since his brother didn’t want to get photographed any more. The result is a funny and tender series of heels turning around a house.

Usually when I asked what keeps my brother busy, he would just tell me. But around the time he turned sixteen he told me nothing anymore. When I tried to photograph him he hid his face, threw a pillow at me or covered my camera with a blanket. What I do now is photograph the last thing I can see of him when he leaves the house. – MAURICE VAN ES

➝ Small Universe is on view at l’Atelier de Chaudronnerie in Arles, until September 21, 2014. Please note that a presentation of each of the participating artists can be found on the website of the Rencontres d’Arles.

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