Fine Art nominee

The story began in April 2019 when I met the Portugese photographer Paulo Nozolino in a workshop in Arles, France. The title was : «Jusqu'à l'os», which means «Down to the bone". The theme appealed to me since my aim in photography is to reveal another reality within the reality surrounding us. It should be a series of 4 frame collages. The first four pictures have been exhibited during the annual photo festival «Les Rencontres de la photographie» in Arles. I wanted to go further than «down to the bone» and I asked "what is man before birth and after death?" Hence sprang the title «Dancing in the emptiness». This emptiness, following me, is not void, but awareness and love. During a year I worked on the theme resulting into 21 collages. It came as a big surprise that I discovered the talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, whose book «I Am That» is the best known. «Once you know that death happens to the body and not to you, you just watch your body falling off like a discarded garment».
His talks motivated me and were a great help in the composition and storytelling.

STATEMENT ERIC PIJNAKEN

What does it mean to him being a photographer ? Nothing at all. Born to his suprise in a human body, he took photos from his 12th year. Not so much to be proud of, but for the fun. It appeared he was very curious about the world of illusions – gods dream – he was living in. Boring schools, but interesting adventures with his friends, and on his trips in other countries. He behaved as a clown, and he liked it. The thread running through his work is to discover the devine beneath the appearances. He feels at home with a statement of Alexandro Jodorowsky : « I continualy feel enchanted facing this life that I am, in the present moment, here and now. I marvel at this resplendent illusion, of this incredible game ».* Many pictures he takes are from intuitive feelings. Many of his works are experimental, and with the last two series « Dancing in the Emptiness » and « Blue Vacuity » he tries to unveil with much love the devine (a little bit of course). His works received about 20 international photo awards.