The exhibition of the Polaroid photographs taken by Bettie Ringma and Marc Miller in the bars of Amsterdam in 1979-1980 got plenty of attention when it opened at the Stigter Van Doesburg Gallery this past week. Here are some excerpts from English language press and a video of the opening ceremonies.
“…They made the rounds five or six nights a week, shooting anywhere from 30 to 100 portraits a night of locals at old-school bruin cafés, Turkish cafés, soccer bars, gay bars, discos, red-light district bars, and tourist traps. They describe the portraits as “tronies,” comparing them to 17th-century tavern paintings by artists like Adriaen Brouwer who painted typological portraits very similar in spirit.”
– Miss Rosen, Huck Magazine
“…Even as it dialogues with art history, the pair’s project also predicts some of the many changes to come for photography, its application in art and media, and the spread of vernacular image genres like the selfie.”
– Rian Dundon, Timeline |