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Ruud van Empel Landscape Photography

Dutch, b. 1958

Original Ruud van Empel photocollages and prints have a number of disquieting aspects to them. The Dutch artist has gained an international following that includes Elton John, who dedicated a song to him.

Van Empel’s wide-eyed children, both of African and of European descent, project an innocence reminiscent of storybook illustrations or even the kitschy big-eyed kids painted by Margaret Keane. They are often exquisitely dressed, in clothes that look stylish but slightly out of date. They frequently inhabit improbable settings — a lush forest setting, a moonlit desert or jungle — again reminiscent of fairy tales. But the unreality of these beguiling kids owes much to the process by which they were created.

They have been photoshopped into being through a patchwork of features manipulated on the computer. The settings they inhabit also come about through photocollage: The Guardian reported that van Empel wanders “through Dutch forests, in search of fine leaves, perfect branches, and the right waters. Only to tear it apart and spend weeks reconstructing it all until both the person and the setting match his desired standard of photorealism.”

Van Empel was born in the small town of Breda and studied at the local art academy before moving to Amsterdam to pursue a serious career as a fine-art photographer. The earliest series to attract critical interest, “The Office” (1995), depicted staid office workers amid improbable props, referencing early 20th-century photomontage. As he has matured as an artist over the past 25 years, however, he has mastered a kind of realism that is somewhere between magical and dangerous.

Find original Ruud van Empel photography on 1stDibs.

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Artist: Ruud van Empel
Voyage Pittoresque #9 - Ruud van Empel (Colour Photography)
By Ruud van Empel
Located in London, GB
Voyage Pittoresque #9 - Ruud van Empel (Colour Photography) From an edition of 7 + 2 APs Signed and numbered on photographer's edition label on reverse Available in two sizes: 140 x...
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2010s Contemporary Ruud van Empel Landscape Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

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Ruud Van Empel landscape photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Ruud van Empel landscape photography available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of landscape photography to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of green and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Ruud van Empel in archival pigment print, pigment print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Ruud van Empel landscape photography, so small editions measuring 22 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Ron van Dongen, Jimmy Nelson, and Laurie Tümer.

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