I am partly represented by Gallery van Kranendonk / The Hague
Curriculum vitae
After studying urbanism at Delft University Dolph Kessler worked as a regional planner and later as a municipal executive councillor of Leeuwarden. From 1995 on, when he started his own business as a consultant and organizer of study tours, he became intensely interested in photography. From 2003-2006 he studied at the Fotoacademie Amsterdam. At the end of December 2006 he graduated with a series about art fairs.
He is a member of the GKf, the most important professional organization for documentary and autonomous photography in the Netherlands. www.gkf-fotografen.nl
Specializations
1. Travel photography. Since 2003 he has worked with writer and journalist Gerrit Jan Zwier. His photos were published in the Volkskrant (travel supplement Traject), the Leeuwarder Courant, and in magazines like Te Voet, Op Pad, Nordic, Op lemen voeten, Geografie Magazine. Stoockx, Man of all Seasons, Plus Magazine, VROM Magazine and Noorderbreedte.
2. Documentary photography. He shoots documentary stories that partly appear as POD photo books in a limited edition. He also produces photographic projects in commission. He made the photo book Nieuw Winschoter Peil for the municipality of Winschoten and Between Dokkum and the sea for the municipality of Dongeradeel. Through Friese Pers Publishers he made a book about Frisian eel fishermen. A photo book about Art Fairs was published by d’jonge Hond Publishers. With this photography he is in line with a documentary tradition. To record those things that are changing, that won’t be here anymore in the near future.
3. Landscape and autonomous photography. He is especially interested in landscape photography. He also explores the area between autonomous and documentary photography, a border area in which one focuses mostly on reality. But instead of creating a purely photographic description Kessler tries to give the image multiple layers, so that it is lifted above the level of its immediate meaning.
Upcoming exhibitions
2013 Huntenkunst Doetichem
2013 Photofestival Naarden
Previous exhibitions
2013 Galerie steven Sterk / Dynjandi / together with Zoltin Peeter and Andre de Jong
2012 Gallery Smarius / Steven Sterk / Noorderlicht 2012 / Group exhibition / Around the North Sea
2012 Van Kranendonk Gallery, The Hague / Book presentation Around the North Sea
2012 Rosa Spierhuis, Laren / Exhibition with my sister Beppe Kessler
2012 Omrop Fryslan group exhibition / Longing for the coast
2012 Lauwerslandroute 2012 / Overall presentation
2012 Museum Belvédère, Heerenveen / Seascapes (with Zoltin Peeter)
2011 Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, The Hague / Group exhibition / Summer Expo 2011
2011 Kunsthal Rotterdam / 6 large photos from the Art Fairs series
2011 Galerie Anderwereld, Groningen / Around the polar circle (with Zoltin Peeter)
2011 Catharinakapel, Harderwijk / Between art and coast
2010 Museum Smallingerland, Drachten / Art Fair photos in context of the Siver Camera
2010 Gallery Smarius/Steven Sterk / Une maison abandonnée / Noorderlicht
2010 Art Amsterdam / Gallery Smarius/Steven Sterk / Art Fair photos
2010 Gallery Smarius/Steven Sterk / Art Fair photos
2009 Scheeneroute / Seascapes
2009 Museum Belvédère, Heerenveen / NOK/ Art Fair photos
I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one to find art fairs and gallery openings rather funny and confusing. I know I should be looking at the paintings on the wall, but I always get distracted and start to observe the art loving crowd even more. That’s why Art fairs – Mise en scenes from the art world by Dutch photographer Dolph Kessler just had to be my book of the month. It’s a collection of photo’s taken at art fairs around the world. More of Kessler’s pictures after the jump.
We are a funny bunch, aren’t we? Putting on our fancy clothes to go from opening to opening. Just to look and be looked at. Dolph Kessler was intrigued too by that rather theatrical setting, so he decided to travel the world, for three years, and take pictures at important art fairs.
He visited Frieze Art London, Art Cologne, Paris Photo, Art Dubai, Art Basel Miami Beach and even Art Brussels. He was aiming for pictures that would have a little bit more than just a documentary aspect to them. He really wanted them to have a theatrical feeling: as if the tableaux were ’staged’, with actors instead of just people accidentally walking by. Kessler likes to draw parallels with religion and churchgoers too. I’m not really following him on that one, but his pictures sure are fun to look at. The book is in Dutch and English and comes with a couple of essays and an interview with Mathew Slotover (Frieze Art London).
How to purchase photo books
Photo books can be ordered in a number of ways. Check the corresponding information about the book in question.
Photo books published through regular publishers can be ordered at the bookshop.
If you have any questions, please contact me.
How to purchase photos
All the photos on the website are for sale. Prices are on request.
Please contact me or Gallery Smarius/Steven Sterk, Gorredijk
How to use photos
If you want to use the photos for publication or other purposes, prices depend on the
use, commercial or not.
Please contact me or Gallery Smarius/Steven Sterk, Gorredijk