Spotlight
Spotlight Artist Baud Postma
Championed by Lizzie Dixey
Above Blue Amenone, A Slow Dance by Baud Postma
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Above Baud Postma portrait
Interview
Baud Postma
Interview
Baud Postma
“I draw inspiration from a wide range of sources, whether it’s something as ordinary as a book, as with my project In Praise of Shadows, or as significant as the Covid lockdowns”, reflects photographic artist Baud Postma. The London-based rising star learned his trade from some of the medium’s most prominent names – Ryan McGinley and David Sims, to name a few. From McGinley, Postma inherited a certain soft and tender gaze – whether it’s on a flower or a muse’s body. From fashion photographer Sims, you can trace Postma’s understanding of using aesthetics to create a sense of harmony and balance in the image. But ultimately Postma’s style is firmly his own, a heady, poetic view of the world as he sees it.
Postma’s Champion for The Wick is art advisor, Lizzie Dixey: “I first came across Baud’s photographs in 2020 at a studio visit to see his A Slow Dance series, started during one of the many lockdowns”, Dixey explains. “Throughout art history, we have long imbued flowers with religious, personal and cultural significance and many of us were drawn to imagery of the natural world throughout the pandemic. The focus on individual stems in this particular set of images speaks strongly to our personal experiences of isolation without feeling melancholic or threatening.”
“The works beautifully capture a moment in the blossoming process of single flowers. Shot using a long exposure on light sensitive paper, the photographs have a ghostly, almost painterly feel to them while simultaneously suggesting hope and burgeoning life. This use of long exposure further contributes to a sense of calm and slowness felt when viewing his work which has resonated deeply with me and my clients who have acquired Baud’s work over the past few years. The images for me have an almost mercurial element to them, responding to shifts in the light and mood surrounding them.”
Lockdown was a fruitful period creatively for Postma. He is still working on A Slow Dance, and it was also during this time that he started making silver gelatin prints in a makeshift darkroom in his bathroom: prints of images captured from many Zoom calls on 8×10 – using his iPhone as an improvised enlarger. The series, titled The Faraway Nearby “represents an extreme example – but experimentation and process are always integral to my work”, Postma told The Wick.
In a fast-paced and desensitised world of images, Postma proves that slowing down and taking time – in looking and in making – is worthwhile. The artist’s proudest moment to date? “I recently received an email from someone who had seen one of my images in a large group show. Although we’ve never met, they reached out simply to tell me that the work had stayed with them and continued to resonate. Moments like these, when someone shares that your work has connected with them in a meaningful way, always feel like a true achievement.”
“The works beautifully capture a moment in the blossoming process of single flowers. Shot using a long exposure on light sensitive paper, the photographs have a ghostly, almost painterly feel to them while simultaneously suggesting hope and burgeoning life. This use of long exposure further contributes to a sense of calm and slowness felt when viewing his work which has resonated deeply with me and my clients who have acquired Baud’s work over the past few years. The images for me have an almost mercurial element to them, responding to shifts in the light and mood surrounding them.”
Lockdown was a fruitful period creatively for Postma. He is still working on A Slow Dance, and it was also during this time that he started making silver gelatin prints in a makeshift darkroom in his bathroom: prints of images captured from many Zoom calls on 8×10 – using his iPhone as an improvised enlarger. The series, titled The Faraway Nearby “represents an extreme example – but experimentation and process are always integral to my work”, Postma told The Wick.
In a fast-paced and desensitised world of images, Postma proves that slowing down and taking time – in looking and in making – is worthwhile. The artist’s proudest moment to date? “I recently received an email from someone who had seen one of my images in a large group show. Although we’ve never met, they reached out simply to tell me that the work had stayed with them and continued to resonate. Moments like these, when someone shares that your work has connected with them in a meaningful way, always feel like a true achievement.”
About the champion
Lizzie Dixey is the founder of The Art Register, is a London-based art advisory service. Lizzie works with both new and established collectors to guide and support them in starting and growing their collections. With a professional background in fine art, framing and the creative industries, Lizzie has worked across art consultancy, design and advertising. In 2009 she organised her first show at the Haunch of Venison Gallery, featuring works by Damien Hirst, Polly Morgan and Miles Aldridge. Lizzie’s previous experience has allowed her to build trusted relationships across an extensive network, from emerging artists through to the established blue-chip galleries. Lizzie also helps to oversee the conservation, shipping, framing and installation process for clients, working closely with established industry specialists to provide a unique, 360-degree service.
“The images for me have an almost mercurial element to them, responding to shifts in the light and mood surrounding them.”
Lizzie Dixey
Above Blue Amenone, A Slow Dance by Baud Postma
Above Carina, Faraway Nearby by Baud Postma
Above Embrace by Baud Postma
Above Dahlia, A Slow Dance by Baud Postma
Above Two Anemones, A Slow Dance by Baud Postma
Above Blue Amenone, A Slow Dance by Baud Postma
Above Carina, Faraway Nearby by Baud Postma
Above Embrace by Baud Postma
Above Dahlia, A Slow Dance by Baud Postma
Above Two Anemones, A Slow Dance by Baud Postma
