Dutch artist Ruth Van Beek is, above all else, a queen of abstraction. She works predominantly with her ever-growing archive of found photography, applying artistic techniques to distort and reimagine images – from cutting and folding, to applying shapes of watercolour-painted paper to make ambiguous forms – and creating entirely new works in the process.
This series of Van Beek’s, entitled The Levitators, takes pride of place in the new issue of Four & Sons, a glossy biannual publication dedicated entirely to place where dogs and culture collide, of which the new issue is launching today. It’s little wonder; the artist’s fascination with pooches, and more specifically with making them appear to float by way of a carefully choreographed series of folds and pleats, is quite mesmerising.
“Animals are often depicted as objects or artefacts, and this has always interested me,” Van Beek explains in the issue. “By cutting and folding found photographs, I try to bring these dogs back to life, but instead of releasing them, I restrain them again in a new shape by changing their form, scale and colour. Each of these dogs posed patiently for the camera and their owners, but when we are not looking, a hidden world appears: a world of dreams and nightmares, weirdness, futilities, and beautiful coincidences." Elsewhere in the new issue of Four & Sons, there are musings on what goes on in a dog’s mind, Erin Wasson’s sings the praises of her red-nosed American pitbull Cream and jewellery designer Aaron Ruff includes a tribute to his chow chow mix Nuki in his newest collection.
The new issue of Four & Sons is launching tonight at Ally Capellino in London. To attend, register for a place here.
