Rutger ten Broeke

1944, The Netherlands

In his photographic work, Rutger ten Broeke searches for the Sublime. For decades, his subject of choice has been the classical female appearance, placed in a wider, natural environment. This way, the woman confronts us with a notion of insignificance in the context of the endless universe. Water has always been the element that attracts Ten Broeke the most. With its mystical character, its ability to render subjects partly invisible and to obscure light, water plays an important part in many of Ten Broekes images of nudes.

Ten Broeke taught at the Nederlandse Film Academie Amsterdam 1970-1985 and founded and chaired the photo department at the AKI Art Academy in Enschede from 1975 until his retirement in 2009. During his working life Ten Broeke brought to life a series of initiatives to bring art photography to the attention of a broader public, such as the International Photo Biennale Enschede, between 1980 and 1993. His work is included in numerous corporate and private collections. In spite of his progressing age, Ten Broeke still produces and prints new images on a regular basis.