Annet Gelink Gallery is proud to announce A Journey Through Plants, Ella Reitsma.Snoep’s fourth solo exhibition in The Bakery.
Recently, Reitsma.Snoep’s new book ‘’Planten op Wereldreis’’ was published, in which she goes on a journey of discovery in her own garden, retracing the steps taken by her own plants and flowers. This expedition takes her from Europe, past Asia and America to Africa, and past daffodils, tulips and dahlias. With a focus on the 1450s to 1750s, the era of printing, maps and of travelling scientists and artists, Reitsma.Snoep describes the origin, meaning, medicinal application and edibility of these plants. Written with a dose of humour, she combines her narratives with photomontages in which she interweaves old drawings with photos from her own garden.
A selection of these photomontages is now on display in the Bakery. These images are designed as contemporary still lifes in which plant, flower, and human share a frame.
Botany, history, and art come together in these works by Reitsma.Snoep. Plants are connected to their past and contemporary environment, be it in combination with a historical drawing or print or the shelf of sweet potatoes in Albert Heijn. A pineapple enters into a visual dialogue with a globe from 1500, Caravaggio’s Narcissus makes an appearance, and a drawing of a sunflower from Camerarius’ ‘’Florilegium’’ (1589) hides behind its photographed counterpart.
Besides this series from ‘’Planten op Wereldreis’’, Reitsma.Snoep presents several still lifes. These images are more abstract than the photomontages. The works were created in winter and a play of light and colour here determines the composition more than the contours of the depicted object.
The book ‘’Planten op Wereldreis’’ is now available on Reitsma.Snoep’s website.