The original may be defined as the earliest form of something, from which copies can be made. It is often hard to determine how an original looked, particularly in case it never existed. By superimposing online images, De Nooy attempted to approach the appearance of various originals as accurately as possible.
In Search of Originals is part of Arjan's de Nooy body of work Photology, based on the eponymous book (2023). Inspired by the work of the Czech philosopher Vilém Flusser (1920-1991), who thought photography fundamentally changed the way the world is seen, Arjan de Nooy puts forward his own view on photography in 20 propositions. These are the opening moves of Photology, from which the book was developed. Photology is a photobook about photography played by the author.
The title refers both to the study of the medium as well as to the logic of photography games. Using found photographs, postcards, online images and photo simulations, De Nooy constructs an overview of photography. He organized the book by topical categories like history, chance, style, information, genres (such as portrait), and photography theorists, without aiming at objectivity or completeness. Each category is explored from De Nooy’s individual perspective and treated in a distinctive, sometimes whimsical, manner.