With intentional naivity she explores the material world, pushing the boundaries of photography and sculpture alike. In her own words: “I’m interested in seeing the world from a completely detached perspective.” This brings her to a practice that is more or less phenomenological – simultaneously grounded in physical directness and philosophical distance. The question that seems most relevant here, is: “What is a thing?” Or, more specific: Is materiality a necessary precondition for ‘thing-ness’? We see hands handling clay, undefined forms and wet surfaces that seem indifferent to their own shape and existence. In the onset the artist may be getting her hands dirty, but whatever is sticky and greasy in de Joode’s work is subsequently being sanitized – the ever clean medium of digital photography dematerializes the work.

Yet in de Joode’s world the photos reemerge as objects as if they want to be things, longing for in-the-world-ness. They seem to speak to us, proud of their somewhat alien existence, unaware that they’re only posing as sculptures. The gallery visitor remains confused: is this an exhibition, or is it a stage setting mimicking an exhibition? And if this is a stage setting, is there an ideal point of view? Is the setting only made to be dematerialised even further, to live on forever – online – as documentation of a show that (never) was?

By posing such questions de Joode demystifies not only her own practice as a maker, but the also the receptive experience of the viewer. All the while the works themselves remain seductively mysterious.

Rachel de Joode - Connective Tissue
CINNNAMON, November 28 - January 9
www.cinnnamon.com