Erik Kessels is a rebellious spectator, who won’t settle for a simple interpretation. He always sees more. In Kessels’ Eye we look through his eyes and see new perspectives in ordinary images.
Martin Parr (Magnum Photographer) on Erik Kessels: ‘We are surrounded by images that are propaganda -with the main purpose to sell us something. Even a family album is a form of propaganda because people ake pictures trying to make their family album look like it’s the perfect family. We have to counter the propaganda we are surrounded by.’
Voor Kessels is het heel belangrijk om te blijven kijken en vraagtekens te zetten bij wat je ziet. “Kijken is iets anders dan consumeren”, zegt Kessels. “Mensen laten beelden langs glijden. Ze kijken niet meer.” In deze film van Simone de Vries zien we hem in al zijn disciplines aan het werk: we kijken mee door zijn ogen waardoor hij ons nieuwe perspectieven laat zien in alledaagse beelden. De kijk van Kessels: de blik van een originele geest op de moderne beeldcultuur.
DVD
Director
Simone de Vries
Dutch director Simone de Vries (1963), winner of Golden Calf (2007) for Touch me someplace I can feel, a documentary on John Callahan – cartoonist and singer/songwriter from Portland, OR.
She made films on different artists from all walks of life: Texas writer singer/songwriter Kinky Friedman, Dutch actor Rutger Hauer, Belgian cartoonist and painter Kamagurka, jewelry designer Ted Noten, photo collector and leading advertising man Erik Kessels- but also a poignant portrait of a lonely jew, walking the highways of Texas with a huge wooden cross in High on Jesus. Her latest documentary that Zeppers Film produced was a feature length documentary about a military town near Fort Hood, the largest base in the USA: Beer is cheaper than therapy.
Credits
Camera: Mark Bakker
Edited by: Bart van den Broek
Sound: Eric Leek
Mixage: Hugo Dijkstal
Production: Willemijn Cerutti
With the cupport of Dutch Cultural Media Fund. In co-production with VPRO.