Daan Russcher
Material Evidence of what does not Exist
In my visual work I search for new ways to depict the urban environment. My attention lies with the frayed edges of the city: indeterminate transitional areas difficult to ‘read' at first sight. Most people only visit them as passers-by and have no eye for the, often banal, surroundings.
What fascinates me is the raw and unpolished quality of such areas. In an intuitive way, I try to expose the individual character of these places. With my camera, I scan the material surface, looking for something to hold on to.
I use photography and the materials I find on the spot, through deconstruction and reconstruction I create new images that incite and active way of looking.
In my projects I focus my research on my experience of the spatial appearance of places that I encounter in urban areas. I focus on fairly banal materials and objects that I find here and because my personal experience is central to my work, I create a visual document that shows a different view of the traditional representation of areas.
In the context of Lighthouse I mostly reflected on my artistic practice as a whole. Next to this, I worked on the project Material Evidence of what does not Exist, which arose during a working period of several months in Buiksloterham, a former industrial area in the North of Amsterdam. For over a century this area was situated at the edge of the city and accommodated heavy port industry. The district is now at a crossroads: the companies must make way for (circular) housing.
What challenges have you faced making this work?
I can get absorbed by a place and by the process of making. I forget what I do, why I do it and for whom I am doing it. By involving other people in my projects I can take a step back and relate again to the story that I am telling with my work.
How are you going to develop this project further?
At this point I am thinking of making a book of Material Evidence of what does not Exist. Another thing I want to do is to apply for the ‘Mondriaan Kunstenaar Start’ grant.
What has the lighthouse program done for you ?
In the Lighthouse program I learned a lot of practical things that are part of the life of an artist. It also created a safe environment after graduating art school.
What has the lighthouse program done for you ?
In the Lighthouse program I learned a lot of practical things that are part of the life of an artist. It also created a safe environment after graduating art school.
