Open Theme nominee

In my series Phantom Flowers I photograph funereal textile flowers in resin encasings that have been exposed to the elements like sun and rain for many years. I name each photo after a sky object as a way of positioning them in relation to the sky which they are constantly exposed to.
I started out this series as some kind of consolation after the loss of some family members, but as it developed it turned into a quest for simple beauty together with a mission to photographically archive as much of this lost art of flower preservation before it has disappeared altogether.
I use macrophotography for this series and I generally let the weather conditions – be it rainy, hot or freezing – decide the final outcome of the images. Sometimes I manipulate the images to a subtle degree.

My name is Kim Windmolders (b. 1973, Belgium) and I am a part-time photographer since 2019. After being a musician, I recently switched to photography as a means of expression. I work in series of similar photos touching on themes of detachment, ephemerality and decay. My photos border on the abstract and I try to create work that is as timeless as possible. I use old printing techniques for some series and modern experimental photography in others. I started out as an amateur-entomologist and the macro photography I used to photograph insects allowed me to approach the world around me in an intimate way. I now use these techniques in my artworks, for example in my Phantom Flowers series, which is entirely shot on graveyards.

Shortlisted: Close Up Photographer of the Year 2020
www.cupoty.be

Exhibitions: Prospects 2020
www.limburgcultuurt.net