Studies of Falling Angels

Danielle Kwaaitaal

16 Feb 2010
27 Feb 2010

After having been premiered at the Groninger Museum in 2009, and afterwards traveling on to Cologne and Paris, Whispering Waters now heads back home to Amsterdam. Also on show are her new studies, revealing a sneak peak at the grand finale of this series: Studies of Falling Angels. The show will open on January the 16th between 5pm and 7pm, and will be on display until the 27th of february.

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Studies of Falling - Danielle Kwaaitaal

Although firmly founded in photography, these works take on painterly and sculptural qualities. Underneath the water's surface these women become symbols of a new female aesthetic, signified by a sensual innocence. Wearing dresses designed for this specific purpose a submerged serenity is achieved, wich is enhanced by Kwaaitaals use of digital image editing. While her series whispering waters shows the subjects of her photographs surrounded by a black liquid void, the new studies of falling angels presents them in a boundless blue drift. This portrayal of the female form shows connections with the symbolists veneration of women, and reflects on the blatant banality of much of todays fashion imagery.

Coming from the world of veejaying, she´s seen as one of the pioneers of digitally edited photographs as an artform. Through the years her works have become more and more detached from the carefree partyscene of the late 80´s and 90´s from which they originated. They now represent a matured artist that has gotten attention from many significant national and international collectors. And not only the artworld takes an interest in her work, companies such as Nokia and Philips have asked her to design their representation. After revealing a photographic panorama of 450 square meters at Schiphol airport in 2008, it is safe to say her search for a new aesthetic has found widespread acceptance. Moving between the spheres of commercial photography and high art has given her the freedom to express the tempting beauty of the modern world in all its facets.