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Rick Stolk
age: 36
country: Netherlands
website: www.rickstolk.com
exposed: July 2006
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mugshot Rick Stolk
Please introduce yourself and tell us something about yourself and your background.
Born in 1970 in Delft, The Netherlands.
Went to Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague (Photographical Design), graduated cum laude.
Started this project 'Almost Daily Square' a few months ago.
It's about places that are not OK in whatever way and I shoot and publish them (almost) daily on my site.
My mailinglist is faster though: when one is ready, I mail.

What’s the central theme of your work?
'Something is wrong here'.

What makes a good picture in your eyes?
A picture that makes me stop whatever I’m doing to look at it.
It's not very complicated.

Where do you concider a photograph to be created? When it’s shot or when it’s processed?
Nowadays: when it's processed. I shoot in RAW and that's excactly what it is for me.
I spot the scenes, take the picture that comes as close as possible to my wishes, but the photo is 'created' at home.
It used to be different: I always wanted to be Cartier-Bresson, 'le moment decisive', Leica M6, etc.

What ability are you currently missing in your equipment, camera or the software you work with?
A decent viewfinder in my camera..
I wish I had a Hassselblad H2D, for it’s square CCD and it’s outstanding performance. But still, the saying “the best camera is the one you have with you” is very, very true and I seriously doubt its ‘pocketability’ and therefore its usability. Most squares I make are during photographically meaningless trips, and I wonder if I owned a Hasselblad it would have been with me…

In what way do you use the Internet? What role does the computer play in your work?
For almost e-ve-ry-thing. Internet is the most important channel to distribute and show my work.
The series 'Almost Daily Squares' is on my site: without internet I would have no audience.
Not in this form that is.
The computer is my darkroom.

What means or ways do you use to show your work to the world?
My site, my mailinglist, online magazines, forums and a few online galleries where my work can be bought. 'Real-life' exhibitions are on their way.

Pixel or Grain?
I'M SO SORRY, but pixel.
I still shoot analog (mainly toycamera's) but the negs/slides have to be scanned as well.
I use internet as my main output, so pixels are inevitable for me.

Concept or Moment?
Concept.

The thin line between art & design is sometimes hard to define. Do you consider you work to be art or design? Why?
Art, because I had to pick between these two and it's not design.

If you had an unlimited budget and all the time you needed. What would you do?
Buy a certain car and a certain camera and drive.

What inspires you?
People that make the pictures I would like to have made.
A compliment does wonders to me too.

How do to you keep your knowledge up to date? Do you spread your knowledge at universities, conferences or workshops and so on?
I buy and actually read books on specific subjects of digital photography. I really want digital photography in my system as well as analog is.
That requires study.

Who is your favorite artist/photographer? Why?
Brett Wall, for his ability to ‘arange’ snapshot-like shots.
Hans Aarsman, for his ability to collect and for his ‘hyperrealistic’ photography.

Which project or website would you like to have made, or make?
All the typologies by Bernd and Hilla Becher.

Final words?
All the published photographs are lambda prints, 100 x 100 cm, on 2mm dibond.
Every print is unique (printed once) and for sale.
Inquiries at mail@rickstolk.com ?>