The feeling of déjà vu, the French expression for the sense that we feel we’ve experienced something before is taking a U-turn thanks to Simon de Haast’s photography exhibition. ‘Vujá dé’ – The Stories We Tell Ourselves is a kaleidoscopic exhibition taking on the term coined by comedian George Carlin. ‘Vuja dé’ expresses the opposite of the well-known French idiom – referring to something unfamiliar in its refreshing newness.
Simon de Haast’s photographs play with ‘found’ or everyday objects using techniques that envelope light, movement and curiosity to beckon exploration into our own stories. We get to see the familiar retold in a way we haven’t thought of in De Haast’s unique pixelated tellings.
De Haaste is known for being something of a rule-breaker in the photography world too.
In Simon’s rebellion, he goes against the rules of photography with one of the most noticeable elements being allowing movement during long exposure, allowing the pixels to become art.
He also makes use of free-lensing to create bespoke imaginings.
“Each image has a backstory to how I ‘saw’ it, and very little post-processing is performed. What appears here is as the sensor recorded it,” expresses De Haast.
Who is the man behind the lens?
De Haast grew up in KwaZulu-Natal but now lives in Cape Town. He and his arsenal of cameras over the years have shot many diverse subjects, including for Rolling Stone South Africa magazine.
To reach inward and experience the sense of ‘vuja dé, visit micro gallery, cafe and coffee bar, Ground Art Caffee, next First Thursdays.
Details:
- When: 7 April
- Where: Ground Art Caffee | 160 Strand Street De Waterkant
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Picture: Facebook