13 february 2024, Yves Joris
Pillow Book, a tribute to the beauty of the everyday
Joost Vandebrug is an artist who transcends the boundaries of photography and creativity. His work is not only praised for its visual splendour, but also the profound philosophical and emotional layers interwoven within. His body of work encompasses a wide spectrum of pieces that invite viewers on an introspective journey through the interaction between nature, humanity and the imagination. In his latest exhibition, Pillow Book, at the Deuss Gallery, Vandebrug pays homage to the delicate beauty found in everyday life.
In the quiet corners of our world lie hidden treasures that whisper about human existence, love, desire and the endless fountain of creativity that defines our being. One such hidden gem is the ancient concept of the pillow book, an art form nestled in the shadow of the literary canon, yet harbouring a sophisticated and enchanting treasure. So, it's no surprise that Joost Vandebrug named his latest exhibition Pillow Book, as his work not only navigates through his own imagination, but also pushes its boundaries, both visually and through the creative process.
Joost Vandebrug, XLII
The intimacy of a pillow book
Perhaps I allow myself to drift a bit too much – and too poetically – on the waves of the pillow book here, but it turns out that this is precisely how I am able to delve even deeper into Vandebrug's work.
Originating in ancient Japan, the pillow book is an intimate work that captures the thoughts, feelings and experiences of its author. It serves as a document that not only chronicles daily life, but also reflects the soul of the writer. Like an expansive landscape of the mind, it offers an unfiltered glimpse into the author's deepest thoughts and emotions, unrestricted by the conventions of formal literature.
What makes a pillow book so intriguing? The answer lies in its unique ability to elevate the mundane to art, to transform banality into beauty. While a traditional diary often focuses on the day's events, the pillow book goes further, capturing the subtle moments that would otherwise be lost in the tumult of life. It celebrates simple pleasures, the small observations that enrich the human experience.
A pillow book is like a collage of thoughts, impressions and observations. It may comprise poetry, prose, drawings or even excerpts of conversations and letters. It's a versatile medium that gives free rein to the creative spirit, unconstrained by genre or form.
Throughout the rich history of literature, there are numerous examples of unusual pillow books. For example, the classic The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon is a masterpiece that transports the reader to the imperial court of ancient Japan. Through Shōnagon's eyes, we glimpse daily life at the court, with its rituals, intrigues and moments of pure beauty.
But the pillow book is not confined to the past. Vandebrug personally found inspiration for the title of his exhibition from This is All: The Pillow Book of Cordelia Ken by Aidan Chambers, a British author with whom the artist engages in active correspondence.
Joost Vandebrug, TDVI
Embracing imperfection
Above, I wrote "…transforming banality into beauty". I hesitated for a long time about whether to replace the word ‘banality’, but ultimately decided to keep it in order to unsettle the attentive reader. I could have just as easily used the term ‘everyday’, but that word seemed rather banal in itself. Vandebrug works with spectacular images. His artistic universe can contain just about anything, but let's return to reality for a moment.
Born in 1982, Joost Vandebrug is no stranger to the world of photography. He grew up in the darkroom, surrounded by the scent of developer and fixer. In his early career, he was a successful commercial photographer and filmmaker, shuttling between New York and London. But the allure of billboards and advertising campaigns couldn't satisfy his hunger for artistic expression.
In 2017, the artist embarked on a personal quest to explore the deeper and darker layers within himself, coupled with an in-depth study of the technical aspects of photography. He left the commercial world behind and devoted himself to his true passion: capturing the beauty of the everyday. In this pursuit, he does not refer to himself as a photographer, but rather as a painter, as he makes small and subtle adjustments to his work until the very last moment.
Vandebrug's work is a celebration of the natural world. The Danube, a constant presence in his work, symbolises more than just a river – it embodies life, purity and fertility. His work serves as a mirror, capturing reflections of the water's surface and revealing the ever-changing nature of the river. He collects mementos from his walks along the Danube – pebbles, leaves, withered flowers and sand. These objects, destined for transience, are immortalised in his work. He photographs them through a microscope and prints the photos on special handmade Japanese washi paper using a pigment transfer method.
Joost Vandebrug, XLI
Slowing down
But his photography is also an exploration of the creative process, ‘a means of removing haste from his life’, as he describes it. He embraces imperfections, mistakes and traces on the paper. These ‘accidents’ are inseparable from his work and result from the delicate photographic techniques and pigment transfers that he uses.
Another striking aspect of Vandebrug's work is how he combines rectangular prints – often over a hundred – to form a cohesive whole. These prints serve not only as aesthetic elements, but also as metaphors for the fragmentary nature of our existence. They represent moments in time, memories and experiences that together form the larger tapestry of life. By arranging them in intriguing patterns and compositions, Vandebrug invites the viewer to discover connections between their own life stories and the universal themes that unite us all. Moreover, the unique presentation of the images adds an extra dimension of deceleration. Each card is delicately nailed in place, an almost Zen-like method to bring time to a standstill in the form of artistic meditation.
The Pillow Book exhibition offers an enchanting and inspiring glimpse into the life and work of Joost Vandebrug. His ability to transform the everyday into something extraordinary serves as a reminder of the inherent magic of life itself. His work invites us to see the world through his eyes, to discover beauty in the smallest of details and to embrace the wonders of existence with an open heart and mind.
Joost Vandebrug, XXX
