Ron Mandos Gallery : World Without Women & Les plus Beaux - photography and sculpture play with masculinity

Gallerist Ron Mandos sent invited artists to create an exhibition which deals with the much disputed notion of masculinity. Ruud van der Peijl and Silvia B. took up his offer and began a cooperation of photography and sculpture, the results : “World Without Women“ and “Les plus Beaux“.

Both artists present alternative points of view on the male self image through sometimes poetic, and sometimes hugely confronting pictures and paintings. Whether tough or imposing, macho or gentleman, all stereotypes of beauty and behaviour are covered.

Ruud van der Peijl photographed males aged between 2 and 73 years. With the help of make-up and minimal styling he shapes new identities out of them, which present their feminine and vulnerable sides.

Ruud’s work is contrasted by Silvia B.’s boyish sculptures. The glowing white creations with unusual additions only expose a creepy, artificial character upon closer inspection.

The exhibition leads us from the light into the dark: starting with the seemingly untouched child-like depictions, to the darker, matured and re-invented personalities.

Ruud van der Peijl started taking photographs whilst working as a stylist in 1997. He is fascinated by the complexities of role play and the tension between the image and self perception, ideal and reality. The title of his series is drawn from Helmut Newton’s book “World Without Men”.

Silvia B.’s sculptures explore the limits of our idea of beauty. She creates ambiguous characters, that raise ethical and aesthetic issues and subtly play with prejudice. Her background is rooted in classic sculpture, as well as fairytales, street culture and masquerades. The pieces can be categorised somewhere between, man, doll and beast.

A collaboration between Silvia and Sculpture Magazine can be viewed on www.rpprojects.eu. The exhibition in on show at the Ron Mandos Gallery, Amsterdam.


Ron Mandos Gallery
5 September – 10 October 2009
Wed – Sat, 12:00 – 18:00
Prinsengracht 282
1016 HJ Amsterdam


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