The Dutch artist Arno Nollen (1964) makes photographs and films. In the books and installations he creates from this material his personal obsessions, doubts, aversions and feelings of tenderness often coincide with those of his subjects. In the past, he portrayed insecure girls, tough gay boys and meaningless streetscenes with an air of indifference and awkwardness.
The Annet Gelink Gallery proudly presents new work of Arno Nollen. Within the walls of the gallery space Nollen uses photographs, video films, archive materials, objects and lighting to tell a visual story. As soon as one enters the gallery, one enters the world of Arno Nollen. Rhythmically, the various portraits appear before the eyes of the viewer. Through using low-tech media like photocopies and black and white films, Nollen manages to create an atmosphere, which is both intimate, intimidating as it is disturbing. The journey the visitor makes starts with an old man and ends with the youthful beauty of children. For this installation the artist photographed, amongst others, skinheads and 11-year-old children. Nollen acted as a school photographer and portrayed the children one by one. Most of them do not laugh, some look at the camera with a look of both diffidence and self-confidence. The skinheads look tough and frightening, but at the same time almost pathetic. The aggressiveness of their harsh outward appearance is in strange contrast with the feelings of sensitivity the photographs also evoke.
