Grimeren van Cees en Bob 1970

Curator: This arresting photograph, entitled "Grimeren van Cees en Bob," dates back to 1970 and is part of Cees Bolier's photographic work. It’s a glimpse into what I presume to be the behind the scenes reality of a theater, rendered with remarkable starkness in black and white. Editor: My initial thought is the duality that it presents – these two vignettes placed vertically, the subtle power dynamic made stark by the hands framing the faces. There’s a certain intimacy, but also an undeniable element of control and transformation happening here, of image construction. Curator: Indeed. Looking closely, the textures—the man's checkered blazer, the stark white of the smock, the softness of the makeup brush—they all point towards specific social markers, a moment caught in time but very self-conscious about being made, represented and mediated through photography and theatricality. There’s a fascinating tension between the artificiality of theater and the presumed “truth” of photographic documentation. Editor: And the symbolic layering! The makeup, of course, as an immediate signifier of disguise, of playing a role. The contrast in hairstyles almost hints at different personas. Then, you have the slightly obscured, suggestive backgrounds of each picture… a door suggesting access and possibilities versus stage props alluding artifice. These symbols work together to construct a metanarrative, one about making up reality as much as representing it. Curator: Right. Think about what photographic technologies at the time were being utilized for. The access the artist would have had to them as materials. It prompts questions about the artist's own labor – the choosing of these men, the set design and then, too, what does labor even mean in a space dedicated to theatre, acting, creating illusions? There’s a fascinating parallel between applying make-up and composing the photograph itself, highlighting its own fabricated nature. Editor: Absolutely. In these careful compositions, the photograph seems to acknowledge the very act of creating an image, turning Cees and Bob from subjects into participants, performers even. It asks the viewer to question our own understanding of roles and perceptions. Curator: In the end, this work really is about processes and not end results; production instead of products. Editor: Agreed. "Grimeren van Cees en Bob" is not just about recording; it's a meditation on meaning-making.