Viviane Sassen, Phosphor

PRESTEL: MUNICH, 2023

I translated from French to English the texts for this catalogue for the first French retrospective of the Dutch photographer Viviane Sassen organized at the MEP in Paris. Published by Prestel.

Publisher description: Tracing a career of more than thirty years, this celebration of the prodigiously talented Dutch photographer includes vibrantly colored portraiture, landscapes, still lifes, abstract compositions and fashion editorials.

From her early African-inspired work to her more recent experiments in interventionist techniques, Viviane Sassen has gained international acclaim for her striking, dynamic images that explore a range of themes and subjects—from identity, gender, and the body, to race, fashion, and the environment. This retrospective book brings together both well- and lesser-known works and includes pieces from her recent series, “Paint Studies,” in which early photographs are reimagined with ink and painterly marks, and “Venus and Mercury,” a collection of exquisite photomontages based on the history of the Palace of Versailles.

Texts by Dawn Ades, Clothilde Morette, Simon Baker, Damarice Amao, and Dan Thawley make this the definitive overview of an important and ever-evolving photographer.