Anne Geene

Anne Geene and Arjan de Nooy combine visual tools from the science of birds with the specific characteristics of photography, thereby imparting a fresh look at both. Through their pseudoscientific approach, Geene and De Nooy explore the boundaries between the two disciplines, adding a layer that is usually absent in the representation and science of birds: humour. Their classifications form comical results through creative and associative thinking, and yet they use the scientific method to show more also create an artistic microcosm that seems far removed from its strictly ornithological counterpart. Together, Geene and De Nooy depart from the “classic” aesthetic of bird representation. show less

The ‘Book of Plants’ is a eulogy on plants in all their appearances, a continuation of an oeuvre that is an expression of the remarkable beauty of the unremarkable. Anne Geene’s quest for specimens with various types of appearances and deformations gives the book a teratological dimension. In her work, the photograph itself is rarely the focus. Taken out of context, the pictures are often no more than a registration of an inconspicuous fact. This means that her art is about collection, show more about the image in relation to other images and the ability to creates new ones by merging and arranging them. Enjoy an expedition through all of the botanical micro- and macrocosms. show less

Anne Geene and Arjan de Nooy offer a fresh, often humorous way of looking at the world through their pseudoscientific work. Their previous publication, Ornithology, an alternative guide for birdwatchers, was awarded the Best Book Design from all over the World at the Leipzig Book Fair. Published to coincide with an exhibition at the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, their next collaboration is about a fictional photographer who lived from 1955 to 2010. Geene and De Nooy created this book based on show more this persons work, which references various stylistic periods and art movements an encyclopaedia of photography but also the personal life story of a universal photographer.

This monograph offers an introduction to the life, work and opinions of the universal photographer U. (1955-2016), a man who produced more pictures of more different subjects in more different styles than any other photographer to date. In U., numerous features of other photographers, philosophers, scientists and collectors can be recognized, but closest to his character may well be the protagonists of Flaubert’s novel Bouvard and Pécuchet. Like them, U. had a tendency to copy, collect, combine and study, and, like them, he lacked common sense. This resulted in remarkable methods, peculiar preferences and naïve solutions to self-created problems.

Besides being a monograph of U., The Universal Photographer reflects Geene & De Nooy’s view on the art of photography, characterised by relativism and even absurdism, but most of all it is a celebration of photography. Its primary quality -to copy- is taken to extremes through U.’s straightforward approach. Reading the history of photography as photos of photos of photos, U.’s work may well be an invitation for even more photos. In the words of Bouvard and Pécuchet: “No reflexion! Let’s copy!” show less

For some, photographs are still the ultimate proof of truth. Frequently used in the sciences, the medium of photography is often considered more reliable in presenting factual evidence than those observations made with the naked eye. This notion is central to the work of photographer Anne Geene, whose various observations from the animal and plant kingdom, and the universe in general, are packed into this slim volume. Combining images and collected data, she painstakingly documents a visual show more record of natural phenomena and scientific approaches. Applying diverse presentation formats and image-making techniques, her exploration is both meticulous and fascinating. show less