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October 2022: Putting the horses undercover, the trumpets would rust

Exhibition at 
I N T E R Z O N E G A L L E R I A

During this dynamic period, in which we are redefining self-identity and what it means to be human, it is important to create networks of inner and external communication. That means we can exchange concepts, feelings, and experiences allowing us to listen and organically relate with each other.
Shifts in the definition of gender—both scientific and social—reflect a collective change in the feminine, masculine and traditional ideals.

The works in this exhibition “Putting the horses undercover, the Trumpets would rust” are strongly influenced by the book “Orlando” written by Virginia Woolf.

The core of the book is the concept of gender. The author plays with it by allowing his/her protagonist to go from male to female halfway through the novel, without further explanation.
In the book, a sort of natural phenomenon became symbolic of Orlando’s inner life. In this
poetic masterpiece Woolf explores the hypocrisy of Victorian prudery: bigotry that we still see today.

A series of Toyobo Etchings show the Orlando of today in the “Zeitgeist” of the century. The works are a dialectical play of revelation and concealment, between the real and the artificial.

The subjects in the Toyobo etchings present themselves as they wish to be seen, and the viewer engages and has an intimate experience, a kind of mirroring, with this person, whereby they can question their assumptions of identity, and gender.

January 2022: New series of Toyobo Etchings Coming up

I dedicated the first ten years of my practice and research exclusively to working with intaglio etching. For me, the process of intaglio introduces chance into the artistic process. The lines of authorship are blurred. Sometimes I am in control, and other times it is the material. This process becomes akin to a dance, whose various procedures and steps are continually inspiring. Recently my research expands beyond traditional approaches to intaglio and incorporates new methods such as silkscreen printing, photography, and installation. I like to combine different techniques within a single work, to add layers to its narrative. Through this process I research how I can use traditional techniques in a contemporary way to build complexity and richness on a visual and conceptual level.
The so called “Toyobo” etching technique (taking its name from the manufacturer who produces the light-sensitive plates). The Toyobo etching technique is quite new to me, and there is still a lot left to discover. Essentially it offers artists the opportunity to seamlessly incorporate photographic imagery into the traditional etching process. The concept of moving between the realms of printmaking and photography opens up many possibilities for my portraits.

So I am very excited to tell you that I am working on a new series of work in the Toyobo technique, more information will follow soon, also about my upcoming solo exhibition in Rome.

 June 2021:

I have been selected for FRESH EYES talent 2021 very happy to be part of the exhibition and the publication.

For this publication Gup Magazine selected the best emerging photographers from Europe for 2021.

Thanks a lot to Fresh Eyes Photo and Gup Magazine.

October 2020: New webshop for art!

My new webshop is now available, new art will be added soon but of course you can already order them by emailing me directly at josewitteveen@gmail.com.

October 2020: movementofbird

New, separate instagram account: @movementofbird

• Analogue photography
• Mixed media
• Travels through tales of origins
• Visual research
• Experiments
• Birds