A selection of silverprints, hand printed by Machiel Botman at Kahmann Gallery

Machiel Botman, Horse and Church. ©Machiel Botman, courtesy Kahmann Gallery.

AMSTERDAM.- Kahmann Gallery presents the work of Machiel Botman in a solo exhibition that celebrates the release of his third book “One Tree” (Nazraeli Press). The photographs in “One Tree” are very intimate and poetic. They all carry Botman’s well known signature. The exhibition in Kahmann Gallery contains a selection of silverprints, hand printed by Botman himself. The gallery is showing a few of the dummies that are also an important part of Botman’s working process. An installation made of single shots of leaves has been made especially for the exhibition. These leaves all come from that special tree; One Tree. The works are framed and interestingly priced and can be bought and taken home immediately. This way, the installation will change structurally during the show. The Hague Museum of Photography will show Botman’s work in a solo exhibition in 2013. The exhibition in Kahmann Gallery will give you a brief idea of what you can expect. Simultaneously with the show in Amsterdam, Gitterman Gallery in New York will exhibit “One Tree” as well. Machiel Botman has exhibited widely and his work is included in international, private and institutional collections. Besides photographing Botman teaches workshops, curates exhibitions and designs books for other artists. Like Botman’s earlier books Heartbeat (1994) and Rainchild (2004), One Tree too is autobiographical. It’s is a photographic poem full of modest images. Botman photographs to understand life. He leaves the conventional rules of photography and shoots in a moving style filled with warmth and intimacy. The magic of Botman’s work arises because we recognize every moment and every face. And yet, we never know exactly what we see. Botman doesn’t give definitive answers. As we get lost in his work, Botman gives us recognition. But he will never answer the questions.