I have always been a fan of Lisa Klappe’s work (www.lisaklappe.com). The young old Dutch photographer has for years been churning out the best styles images for up-to-date design work. She is one of the official photographers of the Design Academy Eindhoven (www.designacademy.nl) but her most amazing work is what she developed with young designers such as Ontwerpduo (www.ontwerpduo.nl) or Jo Meesters (www.jomeesters.nl). Contrary to the Italian design photography tradition (from Aldo Ballo onwards) in which the object turned into a stand-alone subject, with the same dignity of a person, Lisa proposes images that are stories in themselves: the object is just one element of a bigger story that the setting, the styling and above all the dramatic use of light tell.
Now Lisa Klappe’s artistic work (thus disjointed from her design-focused photography) will be on show in Barcelona from Jan 12 through to Feb 2 at Casa Elizalde (www.casaelizalde.com) in an exhibition (conceived and realized together with fellow artist Joachim van den Hurk (www.joachimvandenhurk.com). Decadent Pigeons (www.decadentpigeons.com) is a mix of static portraits, grubby films and living sculptures that look into the themes of beauty, decay and renewal, proposing not only attractive images and settings but also food for thought. We had a chat with Lisa about it and here is what she told us.
Your exhibition is about human decay: why does this issue matter now? I think it’s of great importance to keep seeing beauty in individuals and little things in life. If not, most people will transform into nothingness. To be honest, to blend into the gray matter is my biggest fear. It’s my own anxiety.
Is decay as a theme in a visual art exhibition thus meant as a criticism towards a certain lifestyle? Not really. It’s more like a signal telling people to keep paying attention. To themselves and others. To important things in life. And to the small ones. Life is short, so live it. Unfortunately a lot of people don’t. Maybe I’m trying to give them a hint.
What’s your recipe for happiness (and beauty)?We’re all one of many, but still all are unique. So keep true to yourself. Follow your heart, without losing your conscience. Stay curious and adventurous. And, as I already quoted, keep in mind life is short. So live it. Don’t fall asleep.
There is an inner beauty in your art, despite the fact that obviously decay is not attractive in itself. Does art always need to convey beauty? Beauty is helpful. People simply pay attention to it. The challenge for me is to really cherish it. As if it were an undiscovered treasure. Otherwise beauty soon becomes shallow or flat.
Why did you decide to work with Jeroen? We have mutual interests and ideas. At the same time I got triggered by the way he thinks and works, which is so much more than ‘just’ an image. Lately, I’m more and more interested in those ‘other’ ways and techniques. I even started making some installations myself. And I’m pretty thrilled about that.
I see a lot of the Dutch Golden Age Masters’ approach to light in your photography and in the attraction to human frailty. Is it just my own impression or is there some truth in this comparison?
Although I do understand why you make the comparison, it’s not intentional. Maybe it’s just because I’m from the Netherlands and carry that same culture with me all the time. But then again, of course, I too am flabbergasted by the way those old masters used to paint and in what it resulted.
