Ruud van Empel
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Rudolph Franciscus Maria van Empel (born 21 November 1958) is a Dutch artist and was born in Breda.
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[edit] Biography
Rudolph Franciscus Maria van Empel graduated Cum Laude from the Academie St. Joost, Breda (1976–1981) as a graphic designer. Having worked briefly as a designer, he devoted his attention to making free video tapes and staged photography. From the mid-eighties onwards he was as a creative designer of theatre decor and was the artistic director of various television and film productions.[citation needed] He also produced posters for films, cultural programmes and organizations.
In the mid-nineties, he decided to develop himself further as a visual artist. His first photo series are entitled The Office (1995–2001), Study for Women (1999–2002) and Study in Green (2003). He presented his first solo exhibition in the Groninger Museum in 1999 under the title Waterpas of Optisch recht? (Level or Optically straight?)
His international breakthrough came with his series of works entitled World, Moon, Venus (2005–2008). These were first exhibited in the Picturing Eden exhibition, compiled by Deborah Klochko, in the George Eastman House.
Van Empel’s working method is a complex one. He photographs 4 or 5 professional models in his studio and takes many detailed photographs of leaves, flowers, plants and animals. The models pictures are mixed with these images using the Photoshop program and with clothes photographed separately on a tailor’s dummy. In this way he creates new images of mainly children, in black and white, set in a paradisaical environment.
On September 7, 2011 the Dutch National Television Network broadcasted a documentary on the work of Ruud van Empel titled ”Beyond Innocence”.
[edit] Books
- Photoworks 1995-2010
- Photoworks 2009
- Photo Sketch 2007
- Photo Archive 2007
- World Moon Venus 2006
- Study in Green 2003
- Photo Album 2001
- The Office 1998
- Photographics 1996
[edit] Prizes
- Sint Joost Prize 1981
- Charlotte Kohler Prize 1993
- H.N. Werkman Prize 2001
[edit] Exhibitions
- Ruud van Empel Photoworks 1995-2010, September 10 to November 27, 2011 in the Groninger Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Strange Beauty 12 Oktober, 2012 to February 1, 2013 at MoPA Museum for Photographic Arts in San Diego, USA
[edit] Documentary
- "Beyond Innocence” Westerdok Film/NTR
