Series Void

 

Elevators offer us one of the strangest experiences in modern society: we are enclosed together in a small space, occupying a physical intimacy often outside our comfort level, and we do our best to avoid interaction or contact for the duration of the ride. These shared moments are seen as something to be escaped, rather than engaged with. In Void, Dutch photographer Dirk Hardy approaches the subject of being in an elevator as a stage, placing actors and lighting into an artificial setting to recreate the phenomenon of public isolation we understand so readily. Hardy zooms in on an individual’s expression while caught in a crowd, and pulls out to show the body language of disengagement or a quiet moment of contemplation when finding oneself suddenly alone. Through the micro-theatre of Void, lost moments reclaim significance.

Dirk Hardy

 

Young Dutch artist Dirk Hardy (lives and works in Rotterdam, The Netherlands) graduated from the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam in 2014. His staged photographic images aim to challenge the viewer to slowly break through the stylized surface and connect with the narrative and often psychological elements in the works. Obsessed with aesthetics and the photographic medium, Dirk constantly pushes to refine his craftsmanship and to develop the symbiotic relationship between form and content. Returning interests of Hardy evolve around people, society, alienation, anonymity, and modern city life. Hardy’s images are suggestive and inviting to the viewer’s personal interpretation. They are a result of Dirk’s curiosity in the complexity of man and of his urge to give the beholder a glance into his world.

Dirk’s method of working is highly influenced by also having studied architecture. His research, observations and ideas form the foundation of his work, and by carefully designing a detailed plan to communicate his vision to the viewer, Hardy is able to take full control in constructing every aspect of the process.

Dirk Hardy currently lives and works in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.