Elise Tak: Binary Fission

In the next weeks Annet Gelink Gallery shows work by Dutch artist Elise Tak (1957) who lives and works both in Amsterdam and New York. Her oeuvre consists of 'computerpaintings': large, 'glossy' stills and filmposters, in which the imagery and dreamlike quality of the cinematic experience is celebrated. She uses the imagery and the codes of film to comment on the filmindustry, which is part of our everyday world. Tak's work is in fact an imagination of our collective (film) history. A history of identity, image and myth. By using a computer paintbox Tak makes it hard to believe that all actors have been placed in the imagenative scenes by herself. The camera viewpoint, action, make up, setting and lighting are all directed by Tak. She is in firm control of her imaginary movie empire, has films score big or bomb at the box office and makes and breaks careers of her moviestars. Her fictitious actors, with names as Michael Okada, Marian Xiao, Thomas Kirby, Marvin Dunbar and the younger generation with Charlie Pep, Roy Rebergen, Anita Carbajal and Jeni Wright, work with existing actors as Marlon Brando, Robert de Niro, Simone Signoret and Dustin Hoffman as their co-stars. In this exhibition she shows stills and filmposters of 'Burgaman', 'Queenitis', 'Seventeen at Forty' and 'Ricky Racket'.