Elisabeth Van Vyve was born in 1957 with various developmental disorders, including autism. She learned how to communicate with her environment by means of gestures, sounds and a few spoken words. She was taught how to read and write easy text compositions and at some point, she also started taking photographs. She would mostly use simple, point-and-shoot 35mm cameras, with a preference for the disposable ones when they eventually appeared on the market. Everything would happen according to a set ritual. She would empty the roll of film in a day or two before having it developed and printed at the local photography shop. She would then arrange and store the prints in small plastic photo albums, which are now stacked on the shelves of her bedroom.
PHOTO ALBUM provides a fascinating insight into Elisabeth’s personal imagery. It is hard to say just how many albums she has created over the years. She still adds to them, using the same film-based disposable cameras. She has never shown any interest in digital photography and does not enjoy looking at a picture on a screen. At first glance, her snapshots are like anyone else’s, featuring family and friends, cherished pets, birthday celebrations or a decorative bouquet of flowers.
On closer inspection, however, Elisabeth’s distinctive sense of composition and aesthetic comes to light. Random objects seem to have been arranged specifically for the photograph: pencils are assembled according to colour gradation; a dinner plate with a pudding is presented on a chair; peculiar still lifes are produced with alphabet games, jigsaw puzzles, Lego blocks or one of Elisabeth’s favourite vinyl records. Skies and clouds are a recurrent subject, as are television screens, always depicted switched on, never on standby. Many of her pictures are almost abstract and seem to be about pattern, colour and shape, although Elisabeth has never had any artistic training.
Her creative process is a visceral one, enabling her to connect with the world around her. It is also a solitary one, with no thought of an audience, which is precisely why it is interesting. Using the simplest of cameras, Elisabeth has developed her own, idiosyncratic style, free from artistic convention. Her photo albums are a nostalgic recalling of a world in which images were treasured as rare and one-of-a-kind. -Publisher
