MODERNAZING NATURE
text by Lukas Tonetto

We need a new way of looking at nature in the 21st century, just like the landscape painters of the 19th century who were confronted with industrialization. Today, humanity’s increasing urbanization ends once and for all our symbiotic relationship with nature. Cities are growing into megacities, more than half of today’s population was born in cities and this new generation is a technological generation, convenience-driven, but nature is free, and humanity can never free itself from it.
The vivid pinks and reds in Zak van Biljon’s work will therefore attract those neon city dwellers which think they have overcome nature and who are yet subconsciously reminded of nature out there. His art wants the viewer to remember the real landscape when looking at the ostensible unreal world of his photographs.

The technique, developed for military surveillance and crop surveys, captures near-infrared light: wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation that fall between what we see as red and the longer wavelengths used for thermal imaging.
The pigment in plant leaves, chlorophyll, strongly absorbs visible light, which they use as a source of energy in the process of photosynthesis.
The cell structure of the leaves, on the other hand, strongly reflects near-infrared light. Strong absorption at these wavelengths would only result in overheating the plant and possibly damaging the tissues. The human eye is unable to perceive infrared light, but it is exactly this reflected energy, which reacts with infrared-sensitive material to create electric pinks and vibrant reds.

FLORASCAPE 
text by Gwendolyn Faessler

The photographic series FLORALSCAPES by South African photographer Zak van Biljon mainly shows photographs of lush flower-filled fields and meadows. Altogether, FLORALSCAPES is a progression of van Biljon’s on-going series Modernizing Nature. The images convince the viewer not only because of the use of the infrared photography technique—the artistic trademark of Zak van Biljon—but also because of the visual experience they evoke. In short, FLORALSCAPES presents itself as an autonomous genre within van Biljon’s Modernizing-nature-universe by expanding the photographer’s main interests in a subtle yet skillful way. Meaning, the photographs further analyze the intersection of nature, modernity, humanity, and technology.
So, what actually does happen to us when we dive into these infrared flower fields?

In his FLORALSCAPES, Zak van Biljon creates a microcosm of dichotomies that playfully stimulate and surprise the viewer on various levels. On the first level, the infrared images of flower fields, meadows, and pastures demand the viewer’s full attention. In doing so, the photographs reveal themselves to be monumental organic constructs. This effect can primarily be explained by the photograph’s bright colors as well as by the dynamic structures which seem to be hiding on the picture’s surface. In other words, we can hardly turn our gaze away from the amazingly saturated color structures of the photographs. But let us remember that flowers are, in fact, some of nature’s most gracious creations, and therefore, when we look at van Biljon’s Florascapes, a complex tension field opens up in which gravitas and grace engage in a fruitful dialogue with each other. For the flowers that can be seen in van Biljon’s photographs appear to be in a state in which they are inconspicuous and imposing at the same time. Meaning, the overall appearance of the photographic flower fields, which are nothing short of spectacular, points to the filigree lightness of the individual pedals, which, in essence, are the building blocks of the fields and meadows presented by van Biljon. The two states of gravitas and grace are mutually dependent and reaffirm the dualism present in the photograph—one cannot exist without the other.

On another level, the FLORALSCAPES hint at a sublime interplay between detail and fragment. Zak van Biljon successfully puts his photographs in a state of composition that oscillates between detailed and fragmentary. This oscillation of sorts stems, on the one hand, from the chosen image section, and, on the other hand, from the organic character of the image subject. Firstly, We see a field of infrared colors that appears to be infinite, and only on a second or third glance, do we notice the rich details of the flowers and their petals. When looking at this series of works, we look at an excerpt of untouched nature whose details define the location but by no means specify it. This leads to a process of anonymization which does not allow for accurate localization. In total, we are granted an intimate viewing experience where we are moved by the photograph’s details and colors but we are also allowed to simply admire and come to a rest.

Due to the present dichotomies, the Florascapes photographs exceed a classic viewer experience, transcending what has been defined as an Impressionist Viewer Experience. The photographs cannot simply be viewed, they have to be experienced with movement. This can simply be explained by the attraction these dream-like nature scapes have on the viewer. The aforementioned dichotomies can only be discovered if we regard the photographs up close as well as from afar. Meaning, the image structures change depending on the distance between us and the photograph which then in turn calls for an immersive viewer experience. Thus, it is not surprising, that not only the viewing experience that accompanies Zak van Biljon’s flower-field photographs but also their pointillist structures make us think of the impressionist movement of the 19th Century.

The impressionists explored the changeability of light by means of short painterly studies where they realized that light and shadow appear to change color depending on the time of day. Because of this, impressionists adopted a fast painting style in order to capture sudden changes in light. The resulting images, in short, concern themselves with the overall light conditions of the natural environment. Similarly to this, Zak van Biljon makes light and color the main actors in his photography. Thus, the connection of these photographs to the Impressionists of the 19th Century manifests itself partly in the infrared photography technique, and partly in the image subject itself. The meadows and fields of the Florascapes series appear in—to our eyes—unnatural colors. Many of the impressionists’ nature studies fascinate us to this day precisely because of their surprising, unusual, and often even unnatural color ranges. Yet, while the impressionists painted with oil on canvas, Zak van Biljon paints with the light on photographic paper—after all, photography literally means ‚drawing with light‘. And precisely because van Biljon directs his camera towards the subject of nature, the resulting images emphasize his correlation to the plain air painters of the past.
Van Biljon makes the vibrant color ranges that had previously only been suspected by the impressionists, visible to the modern viewer. The flowers, petals, shrubs, and grasses appear, at first glance, to be autonomous color accents within the composition, and only upon closer inspection do they transform into an overall structure that, in turn, demands active visual participation from the viewer. Here too, we perceive a complex dualism that shows itself in the form of an interplay between nature and technology. In short, Zak van Biljon accepts nature as an active partner in his creative process, so that organic growth and technological progress can meet and merge. Nature, traditionally associated with deceleration, joins forces, in van Biljon’s photographs, with the photographic technique, that is traditionally associated with the speed of our modern world.

In his FLORALSCAPES, Zak van Biljon lets us glimpse into his personal experience with nature and he allows for a complex field of interpretation to be opened up by the viewer. We are allowed and even encouraged to project and perceive our own relationship with nature, light, and color in these pictures. Perhaps we feel reminded of a nightly drive through a city whose lights blur past us, overwhelm us, and electrify us. Maybe, we feel like we have entered a dream in which we are allowed to rest in a magnificent meadow. Or maybe, while looking at these photographs, we remember the Impressionists and their playful splashes of color. If we decide to immerse ourselves in the dazzling world of the FLORALSCAPES, we choose to open ourselves up to the moving visual experience that accompanies these pictures. And this experience turns out to be universal and individual at the same time.
In Zak van Biljon’s photographs, nature’s most fragile products—flowers, petals, and weeds—merge into an artistic composition that borders on abstraction and invites us to prolong our contemplation due to the apparent dualisms. In this way, van Biljon condenses aspects of the human experience with nature in his photographs and challenges humanity’s understanding of color and light.

LIQUID MIMESIS
text by Gwendolyn Faessler

In the series Liquid Mimesis, South African photographer Zak van Biljon dedicates himself to the element of water. As the element of the source of life or as a symbol of purity, water accompanies us in its various states of matter through everyday life at home and outside. Water flows, evaporates, vaporizes, and freezes. Water is both colorless and odorless and yet it is perceptible on all sensory levels. Perhaps, water calls for being photographed because of its ever-changing nature and its elusive character. In Liquid Mimesis, van Biljon places his artistic focal point on natural bodies of water. Applying the technique of infrared photography, he captures the surfaces of rivers and lakes with his camera. In the resulting photographs, van Biljon not only reflects upon the material properties of water but also reveals a progressive process of abstraction. This process reflects nature’s ability to abstract itself in different ways.

Water and its surfaces in nature are as diverse as the possible range of emotional expressions on the human face: They can appear to be quiet, deep and smooth, or they can appear to be turbulent, dynamic, and rough. Furthermore, open bodies of water are an indicator of the state of the atmosphere and they can either feel inviting or threatening to us. Water surfaces are, figuratively and literally, the mirrors of nature. As such, they possess the power to pictorially multiply their surroundings. In this respect, rivers, lakes, and the sea represent a kaleidoscopic concept of multiplication. Coupled with the photographic practice, Zak van Biljon succeeds in illustrating how the mirroring surfaces of large and small bodies of water form an infinite number of new pictorial worlds that elude a conclusive classification.

The parallel worlds that exist on the water surfaces are fragmented in the photographic picture. As a viewer, we try to decipher the apparent natural forms and landscape elements of these parallel worlds, which are evidently being reflected in the mirroring surfaces of the water. We immediately realize, however, that water has the ability to deceive our sense of perception — a circumstance that is commented upon by Zak van Biljon in his photographs. Meaning, the photographs sum up the creative moment in which the mirrored forms and elements on the water’s surface are being dissolved by the movements of the liquid. In this sense, the photographs conclude how the mimetic world on the water’s surface is being animated and perforated through the waves and seesaws, currents, streams, and drifting of the water. This fragmentation results in the creation of new, fleeting, and abstracting worlds on the surface of the water. The stronger the movement of the water, the stronger the abstraction process. In the form of water, nature takes on the role of a modernist artist who dissolves the figurative elements of the surrounding environment and reduces them to no more than a few indexical signs.

And yet, Zak van Biljon does more than make us aware of the mirroring, fragmenting and abstracting qualities of the material of water. We are also being made aware of the cultural and political spheres in which the material operates. Evidently, this is being done in the set of water photographs that glow in a monochromatic golden color. Van Biljon achieves this extraordinary coloring via the infrared photography technique. The moment of abstraction is most pronounced in these images from the series. Looking at the golden images, we are hardly able to decipher the origins of the mirrored shapes on the water’s surface. In other words, we are confronted with a material transformation: Instead of water we seem to be looking at liquid gold, whose movements liquify, supersede, and abstract the figurative elements on its surface.

In this respect, Zak van Biljon can be viewed as a sort of photographic alchemist who transforms water into gold in the pictorial sphere. As a master of his medium, van Biljon seems to be transforming the liquid element not only in terms of its color but also in terms of its materiality. The transformed coloring and the shining and shimmering of the gold water deceive our senses and provoke our skepticism in regard to the photographs. The material of water which was liquid at the point of being captured by the camera now seems materially compact and tangible. The resulting aesthetics of the gold color fascinate and repel us at the same time. If we think about the imminent value of water which seems to be close to the one of gold, the photographs can also reveal themselves to be unimposing commentators of the global political climate.

In conclusion, the photographs from the series Liquid Mimesis demonstrate how the concepts of both transformation and abstraction are essential to the notion of water. The shapes and forms which are naturally copied on the water surface are dissolved by the various movements of the liquid element. Thus, in this mimesis, new, abstract worlds are being formed. And in turn, these worlds challenge our perception of nature, as abstract artist.

Education

2020: MoMA – Seeing Through Photographs
2003: National College of Photography, Pretoria , RSA
2001 : Cape Town School of Photography, Cape Town, RSA

Solo Exhibitions                                                                                                                                                                               

2023 : Galerie Märtplatz – Switzerland
2022 : Galerie10 – St.Moritz, CH
2020 : Galerie94 – Baden, CH
2017 : 4te Raum – Zurich, CH

Group Exhibitions

2023 : Photo Münsingen – Switzerland
MIA – Luisa Catucci Gallery
Galerie Monika Wertheimer – Switzerland
Suvretta House – Galerie10 – St. Moritz
2022 : Galerie94 – Berge – Baden – Switzerland
Photo Basel / Basel – Galerie94 – Switzerland
2021 : GALERIE10 – St.Moritz – Switzerland
(H20) GALERIE94 – Baden – Switzerland
(ROT RED ROUGE) Galerie Koschmieder – Berlin – Germany
Galerie94 – Photo Basel – Basel – Switzerland
(160 Jahre Landschaftsfotografie) – GALERIE WOS – Photo Basel – Basel – Switzerland
Pop–Up–Show & Book Signings – Galerie Koschmieder – Berlin – Germany
Bergluft – GALERIE WOS – Zurich – Switzerland
2020 : Photo Basel / Berlin – galerie94 – Positions Berlin Art Fair
2017 : MOPLA, Lucie Foundation, Los Angeles, USA
Tournemine Gallery Gstaad, CH
2016 : Art Zurich, CH
Rotterdam Art Fair, Rotterdam NL
The Annex, Bricklane Gallery London, UK
Photo16, Zurich, CH
2001 : Cape Town School of Photography

Awards

2021: 1st Fine Art Photography Awards – Cityscape
Fine Art Photography Awards – Landscape nominee
Fine Art Photography Awards – Fine Art nominee
Fine Art Photography Awards – Night Nominee
2020: Honourable Mention, Prix de la Photographie, Paris
All about Photo MERIT AWARD – Shapes
2019: Honourable Mention, Prix de la Photographie, Paris
Fine Art Photography Awards – Landscape nominee
Bronze – BIFA 2019 – Fine Art-Landscape
2018: Bronze, Chromatic Awards
Bronze, One Eyeland Photography awards, Fine art
Landscape
Honourable Mention, International Photography Awards
2017 : Silver, Prix de la Photographie, Paris
Honourable Mention, Climate Change, IPA
2016 : Honorable Mention, Prix de la Photographie, Paris
Best Artist, Rotterdam Art Fair, NL
Honourable Mention, International Photography Awards
2003: Best Landscape, National College of photography, RSA
Best Student, National College of photography, RSA