Rinus van de Velde

Deciding on which of his photographs is suitable for a drawing is a difficult process. Van de Velde apparently selects those photos that in some way or another represent a so-called »everyday, collectivemyth «. And yet the drawings of Van de Velde do not have a documentary character. On the contrary, for while the artist adapts the photographic images according to the requirements of the drawing and in addition adds text to the drawings, these tell a completely different story than the photographs on which they are based. The individual drawings in the book combine to formshort stories, describing the lives of artists and scientists. One example is the american sculptor William Crowder. Van de Velde presents characteristic key concepts and pictures, but also leaves empty spaces that should be completed by the viewers themselves. This is an example of how Van de Velde evades the requirements of documentation.