Lumiere Gallery presents the first solo exhibition in Russia by Dutch photographer Paul Brouns. The exhibition will include large-format compositions from the series “Urban Tapestries”, “Patterns in Perspective” and “Transformations”, on which the author has been working in recent years. Paul Brouns’ work is based on architectural photography, which the author embodies in abstract visual images.
Traveling through the cities of the Netherlands, Europe, America, Asia, Paul Brouns “collects” patterns and color inclusions of the urban landscape and creates his own unique palette. It is important for the author to overcome everyday reality and the utilitarian component of buildings, so bright and verified compositions are shown outside the context of the environment. The realism of Paul Brouns’ photographs is emphasized by the large format of the works presented as part of the “Dutch Palette” exhibition project. Playing with the symmetrical ornament of window openings or repeating mosaic flights of fire escapes, the author creates complex visual mazes, offering the viewer to immerse themselves in a new dimension — to see the familiar urban space in a new way.
Color, rhythm and geometry are the main elements of the author’s style. In working with color and lines, the author draws inspiration from the paintings of Paul Klee, Pete Mondrian, David Hockney and Mark Toby. In his work, Paul Brouns draws a parallel between abstract visual form and music, since rhythm and composition are as important in his works as in jazz and instrumental music.
For the “Urban Tapestries” series, the structural elements of buildings are fundamental – windows, doors, walls – the facades removed from the front come to life thanks to the author’s work with color, reflection, shadow and form an abstract canvas of urban architecture. The creative search for the first series was further developed in the project “Patterns in Perspective”, where the photographer turns to the point of shooting, plays with the depth of perspective and symmetry. In the series “Transformations” Brouns resorts to artistic manipulation and with the help of his images creates compositions with new dimensions and worlds.
The acquaintance of the Russian art market with the photographer took place in 2021, when the Gallery presented the author at the DA!Moscow art show. According to Natalia Grigorieva-Litvinskaya, founder of the Lumiere Gallery, the works of Paul Brouns have already been warmly welcomed by Moscow collectors. “We all need the theme of urbanism through the eyes of modern Dutch photography with its unpredictable color today more than ever” – Natalia says.
Paul Brouns’ works are regularly presented at international art fairs: The Other Art Fair (USA), India Art Fair (India), First Art Fair (Netherlands), Barcelona Art Fair (Spain), Tokyo Art Fair (Japan). In 2018, the first edition of Paul Brouns’ book “The Music of Architecture” was published with a retrospective of the photographer’s work. In 2022, as part of the Venice Art Biennale, the works of Paul Brouns were presented at the exhibition “Personal Structures” at the invitation of the European Cultural Center of Italy.
Paul Brouns (b. 1967) is a Dutch photographer who lives and works in Almere (Netherlands). In 1990 he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Tilburg with a degree in Painting, Graphics and Photography. In his visual studies of urban space, the author discovers the abstract, rhythmic poetry of architecture. “I hope that thanks to my work, viewers will learn to appreciate and enjoy the visual music that surrounds us.” — the author shares.