Laws of the Haystack

During holidays I take a snapshot of a haystack that reminds me of other forms. The image stays with me. So too is the need to discover what that one image contains, but does not reveal. At the end of the 19th century, the Austrian physicist Ludwig Boltzmann stated that our world seems static, but in reality it is made up of ever-changing compositions of the smallest building blocks in our world. Since we cannot see these small particles, we are not aware of these parallel realities.

Inspired by Boltzmann, I investigate what hides the haystack's photo. I manually deconstruct the photo into building blocks, after which I reassemble it again. With this I explore alternative constructions and parallel meanings. I use a scientific like approach, which I combine with artistic freedom. The latter allows me to admit my obsessive curiosity, chance and playful discovery. In doing so, I investigate how I perceive and question the ambiguity of photographed "reality".

EMILE GOSTELIE

Emile Gostelie (NL, 1957). Emile investigates the limits and potential of perceived reality, exploring the tension and interaction between what we see and what we know/believe. He takes his inspiration from scientific insights or cultural frames, which he investigates with an approach mixing pseudo-science with artistic freedom. By changing context or through deconstruction and assembly, he separates images from their original meaning. Metamorphosis of the original image (or image context) then allows for the investigation of alternative meanings and the role of photography. His working process is characterized by extensive research, experimentation and the creation/manipulation of images and objects by hand.

June 2021, he graduated from the Photo Academy Amsterdam (cum laude). Before the Photo Academy he studied physics and engineering at the TU Delft, did an MBA at INSEAD and worked as a strategy consultant with BCG.