Gravity fields by Rienk De Vries

In the rural expanse of the Frisian countryside, where the vastness of the night sky meets the minutiae of the earth below, the foundations of Rienk De Vries's artistic journey were laid. As a child, De Vries was a typical Dutch farmer's son—slender, clad in baggy shorts and rubber boots, with clothing often stained by the ubiquitous mud of his surroundings. He might have been eight or perhaps ten years old, an age where one is supposed to assist with the myriad chores of farm life after school. However, De Vries chose a different path. He would often slip away from the kitchen, venturing into the fields with an empty jar hidden in his waistband. He scoured ditches and trenches, rummaging through grass clumps and hedges, in search of hidden treasures. This young boy, obsessed with all things that flitted and flew, collected his finds meticulously: a lifeless dragonfly, a lone feather, dandelion puffballs, and even an owl's skull. To delight his mother—who surely fretted over his prolonged absences—he would also gather the speckled eggs of a lapwing.

At dusk, soaked through and with boots squelching, he would return home, presenting the eggs to his mother as a peace offering, flashing his sweetest grin while the jar remained discreetly tucked away. His mother’s gaze would often pause on the bulge under his shirt, filled with a mix of suspicion and relief, before she ushered him to wash his hands until they turned a fiery pink. Dinner was a hurried affair, filled with prayers and the silent shoveling of potatoes, with the jar still uncomfortably wedged at his side. Later, secluded in his room, De Vries would bring the jar into the lamplight and carefully empty its contents to examine the dragonfly under his most cherished possession—a microscope. Through the lens, the insect's wings appeared as fine lace, its compound eyes shimmering with a deep, nacreous blue, unmarred by death.

Lying awake at night, his thoughts lingered on the day's discoveries. In the quiet, he would climb onto a chair beneath his window, gazing out at the expansive, starlit fields of the Frisian countryside. He pondered the connections between the minuscule wonders he collected and the vast universe above. This interplay between the small and the vast, the intimate and the infinite, would become a central theme in his work. Rienk De Vries grew into a man who pursued photography, driven by a lifelong fascination with both the micro and macrocosms. His work, particularly the "Gravity Fields" series, captures this dichotomy with a profound sense of wonder and curiosity.

Each photograph in the series is a testament to his childhood explorations, blending the intricate details of the natural world with the expansive vastness of the landscapes he so often pondered. In "Gravity Fields," De Vries presents a world where the smallest elements—grains of soil, fragments of leaves, delicate insect wings—are imbued with the same significance as the sweeping landscapes they inhabit. His photographs invite viewers to consider the gravitational forces that hold these elements together, both literally and metaphorically. The tension between the earth's pull and the sky's expanse is palpable in each image, echoing the artist's childhood musings. De Vries's work challenges us to see the world through a dual lens, where every small detail is a gateway to the larger cosmos. His ability to capture the delicate interplay between these realms creates a visual narrative that is both intimate and expansive. The "Gravity Fields" series is not just a collection of photographs but a philosophical inquiry into the nature of existence, balance, and the unseen forces that shape our world.

Through his lens, Rienk De Vries continues to explore the mysteries that captivated him as a child. His photographs are a testament to the enduring power of curiosity and the boundless potential of viewing the world through a microscope, as well as through the wide-open lens of wonder. The "Gravity Fields" series stands as a profound exploration of the connections that bind the tiniest elements to the vastest landscapes, offering a unique perspective on the intricate dance of life and the cosmos.