Caroline Koenders (NL)
Text written by GHA
The identity of Koenders’ objects is undetermined as they form a mixture of organic and mechanical shapes and float in space. A flat white background behind some of the objects emphasises their dimensionality, sharply rendering each curve. In her other prints, Koenders envelops her subjects in a black void and softens their edges with deep shadows.
Each individual hue in the subjects’ colour is emphasized by this shading: depending on the incidence of light, different nuances appear.
The dramatic lighting almost gives the impression that the viewer is aiming a torch at the subjects in a dark cellar full of curiosities. With their spherical forms and bold yet natural tones, the shapes have an organic appearance.
At the same time however, their smooth surface and the layering of their forms remind one of mechanical parts. The shading renders them perceptible, inviting the viewer to imagine what it feels like to hold them in their hands as tangible objects and run their fingers over each surface. The dimensionality of the objects is further enhanced by their menacing cavities. Like a camera lens, the gaping holes stare mysteriously at the viewer. By asserting their presence in space, they seem to be living beings rather than mere objects.
Koenders’ mezzoprints are precise studies of light and form that develop such dimensionality that they assert the tangible presence of a sculptural work on a flat surface. They evoke not only the viewer’s sense of sight but also of touch, tempting them to search for more enigmatic forms in the dark shadows of the prints.
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Behind the things Cothen 4
