Still Life

Helena Van der Kraan’s (1940-2020) photographs make one think about the ordinary things in life. Because of the great simplicity of the subject matter and the image, the viewer may be inclined to associate a metaphor with what has been photographed, but Helena never seeks to direct the audience’s interpretation. For her, a bottle is a bottle. She finds comfort and beauty in photographing the everyday and wants to share that with others. This is the first book devoted solely to her still life work. The images in the book were selected to complement his last posthumous solo exhibition, Still (a) Life, at Madé van Krimpen Gallery.

Her photographs are intimate and are demonstrative of her poetic understanding of everyday objects. The images chosen for the show emphasize her innate ability to play with light, shadow, texture, and form to create unforgettable images.

Van der Kraan’s work spans fifty years and is known for its subdued quality. Her work is still highly regarded in photographic circles and holds a special place in the collections of many Dutch museums. Until the recent publication of her book Portretten / Portraits and the accompanying exhibition Beer & Teddy, Van der Kraan’s work was not so well known to the wider public. Unfortunately, Helena Van der Kraan passed away in 2020. The artist leaves behind a huge cache of timeless images.