Jan Dibbets

Dutch artist who works mainly with photography. Born in Weert. Trained as an art teacher at the Tilburg Academy 1959-63 and studied painting with Jan Gregoor in Eindhoven 1961-3. Taught art at a training college 1964-7. First one-man exhibition at Galerie 845, Amsterdam, 1965. Painted some abstract shaped canvases, then gave up painting in 1967. Shortly afterwards visited London on a British Council scholarship and met Richard Long and other artists involved with Land art. On return to Holland, settled in Amsterdam and began to make 'Plough Projects', 'Beach Projects' etc., followed by his first 'Perspective Corrections'. Started in 1967 to use photography to create a dialogue between nature and cool geometrical design by rotating the camera on its axis, taking series of photographs systematically increasing the shutter speed, etc. Also experimented with videos, films and conceptual works. His exhibition in the Dutch pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 1972 established his international reputation. Lives in Amsterdam.

Published in:
Ronald Alley, Catalogue of the Tate Gallery's Collection of Modern Art other than Works by British Artists, Tate Gallery and Sotheby Parke-Bernet, London 1981, pp.170-1

Read more