• This two-dimensional construction was then photographed in a three-dimensional setting, distorting the viewers’ gaze and perception of reality.

    At first glance, works from the Bouquet series by Maurice Scheltens and Liesbeth Abbenes looks like typical Dutch seventeenth-century still lifes. But like most floral still lifes from that time, these carefully arranged bouquets are far from realistic. Many seventeenth-century painters assembled bouquets in their paintings with an assortment of seasonal flowers, which could never flourish at the same time. The Bouquets are also artistic constructions: the duo cut out all parts of the flower arrangement from books, magazines, and catalogs, which were accurately combined into a balanced composition. This two-dimensional construction was then photographed in a three-dimensional setting, distorting the viewers’ gaze and perception of reality. The still lifes we see are fake and real at the same time: although not quite what it seems, it are true creations, not digital tableaus.

    • Scheltens & Abbenes, Bouquet I, 2003
      Scheltens & Abbenes, Bouquet I, 2003
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    • Scheltens & Abbenes, Bouquet III, 2005
      Scheltens & Abbenes, Bouquet III, 2005
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    • Scheltens & Abbenes, Bouquet IX, 2005
      Scheltens & Abbenes, Bouquet IX, 2005
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    • Scheltens & Abbenes, Bouquet V, 2005
      Scheltens & Abbenes, Bouquet V, 2005
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    • Scheltens & Abbenes, Bouquet II, 2005
      Scheltens & Abbenes, Bouquet II, 2005
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    • Scheltens & Abbenes, Bouquet IV, 2005
      Scheltens & Abbenes, Bouquet IV, 2005
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    • Scheltens & Abbenes, Artis Magistra, 2006
      Scheltens & Abbenes, Artis Magistra, 2006
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    • Scheltens & Abbenes, After image: Bouquet 5, 2018
      Scheltens & Abbenes, After image: Bouquet 5, 2018
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    • Scheltens & Abbenes, Cut-outs (Apple Box), 2003
      Scheltens & Abbenes, Cut-outs (Apple Box), 2003
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    • Scheltens & Abbenes, Cut-outs (Avalanche), 2003
      Scheltens & Abbenes, Cut-outs (Avalanche), 2003
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    • Scheltens & Abbenes, Cut-outs (Display), 2003
      Scheltens & Abbenes, Cut-outs (Display), 2003
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    • Scheltens & Abbenes, Glossy's, 2003
      Scheltens & Abbenes, Glossy's, 2003
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  • For more information on available edtions and prices, please contact the gallery via email at info@theravestijngallery.com
  • Maurice Scheltens (b. 1972, the Netherlands) and Liesbeth Abbenes (b. 1970, the Netherlands) are the sum total of a still-life...
    Maurice Scheltens (b. 1972, the Netherlands) and Liesbeth Abbenes (b. 1970, the Netherlands) are the sum total of a still-life photographer and the creative craftsmanship of an artist. 

    Technical perfection added to individual handicraft, strong pictorial clarity in addition to tailor-made settings. They experiment with converting spatial dimensions into flat surfaces and explore photography’s potential for creating illusion. Essential to their work is their laboratory like studio where they construct their settings with an attitude of conceptualisation and solution-led thinking, regardless of whether they are editing or tackling commissioned or independent artistic work. 
     
    Instead of presenting objects as plain sellable products, they often manipulate and utilize them as building blocks for new compositions. The autonomous artistic quality of the photograph always has to prevail. Scheltens & Abbenes deliberately choose to operate both in the field of applied and autonomous art and use them as breeding ground for one another. This approach resulted in showing their projects in cultural institutions such as Galliera Musee de la Mode Paris, Foam Amsterdam, Huis Marseille Amsterdam, The Kunsthal in Rotterdam and The Art Institute of Chicago.