#20 The curator

Invitation for the exhibition Slow Photography with a photo by Maurice Brandts. The principles for the exhibition can be interpreted as a manifesto.

Speaking: Maurice Brandts

Maurice Brandts is the curator of the Slow Photography exhibition at Pennings Foundation.

What does he mean by ‘Slow Photography’ and how did he choose the exhibitors?

We probably know what Slow Food means: meat from animals that have been allowed to roam outside. We may also know the meaning of Slow Painting: painting according to old techniques and materials, such as oil paint and tempera. A Slow Magazine already exists: a magazine published once a year that gives an impression of long-term projects.

In this context, ‘slow’ stands for: slow, attention, quality, slowing down, awareness. The concept of Slow Photography is not yet generally known, but here too it is about the qualifications mentioned. (IvB)

Some time ago, Maurice Brandts discussed with Petra Cardinaal the possibility to exhibit at Pennings Foundation. But what to do with a solo exhibition of small works in a large space? While talking, they came to the conclusion that a group exhibition was a better idea. An exhibition based on work by Maurice Brandts, combined with work by photographers that fit Brandts' vision.

Brandts (1962) studied at AKV | St. Joost in Breda. After graduating, he started working as a corporate and then freelance photographer and later made the switch to education. He obtained his bachelor in Art Education at the Willem de Kooning Academie in Rotterdam, and his master in Art Education at the HKU in Utrecht. He is also an autonomous photographer. Since 2007 he has been a teacher at the Nederlandse Academie voor Beeldcreatie in Rotterdam (formerly the Fotovakschool).

The names of the Slow Photography exhibitors are on the window. At the same time, the exhibition of Pierre Segers can be seen. photo Hetty de Groot

To make portraits, Brandts switched to a different way of photography around 2011. In combination with an 8x10 inch technical camera, he opted for a 19th-century technique, the platinum/palladium print. The making process of the picture and printing technique requires a slow way of working. Both making the portrait as well as printing takes a lot of time. "You need to be patience. It takes a lot of time waiting. And that also applies to posing. For my portraits, I leave the model in front of the camera for an hour. Then I need to wait for a certain look in the eyes. As soon as there is that stillness, I make the picture. I only take two shots during a photo session. In all my portraits you discover the same look.”

Platinum prints by Maurice Brandts. "The working process of the procédé takes so long that a way of ‘brooding’ arises that makes me deepen in the quality of the recording. This method of working creates a different portrait of the person I am photographing than if I were to perform this digitally with a fast camera." photo Hetty de Groot

“Due to the slow way of working, we came to the title for the exhibition: Slow Photography. I have selected the other exhibitors because they fit my vision: photographers who each practice in their own way a slow method in their creative process. I already met with all exhibitors. It's a coincidence that I ended up with portrait and architecture photographers.”