[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”false” el_class=”intro-text” p_margin_bottom=”20″ width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last” css=”.vc_custom_1608200417526{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Daan Oude Elferink travels all over the world to capture the beauty of decay. He secretly sneaks into abandoned places, climbs fences, crawls through sewers, stands on crumbling edges and encounters copper thieves and drug labs. He even once almost came face to face with IS. And all of that for the perfect picture. His artworks can be admired at international fairs. For the majority of his artworks Daanoe chooses our unique Liquid Gloss as the finishing method. [/vc_column_text][mk_blockquote font_family=”Oswald” font_type=”google” font_size_combat=”true” text_size=”18″ animation=”fade-in” align=”left” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”]“The road to it and the story behind it is more important than the photo itself”[/mk_blockquote][vc_column_text p_margin_bottom=”20″ width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last” css=”.vc_custom_1608199804290{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Daan starts: “I was never interested in photography. Before I founded Daanoe in 2008, I didn’t even take vacation photos. From high school I chose Informatics, and eventually became co-owner of the software company where I did an internship.”

“One day, out of curiosity, I climbed a fence somewhere and ended up in an abandoned fort. I thought that excitement was so cool and I saw so many beautiful things that I took over a camera from someone and learned to photograph myself.”

The most beautiful profession
“For a while, I still combined it with my programming work, and only worked on photography on weekends. But things went well very quickly. I sold my shares in the software company and followed my dream. Now I have the best profession there is. In the beginning it was of course a bit exciting, because as an artists’ money only comes in when you sell something. But I could finally fully focus on Daanoe and had plenty of time to travel, discover and perfect my skills. During that period I also came into contact with Genesis. ”

“Photography is my hobby”
Daan continues: “I enjoy adventure, that’s what drives me in the first place. As a child I already played in abandoned buildings. I always looked for excitement and came to the most beautiful places. By recording it I was able to show people what cool things I did, and I turned out to have a talent for that.”

“That I have been able to turn my hobby into my profession is a dream come true. Photography is still my hobby, and the art world is my profession. I would like to keep that clear for myself, otherwise I am afraid of losing my hobby. Above all, I want to record what I think is beautiful, without commercial purpose.”

Interesting countries
“Italy is my favorite, I go there at least ten times a year. It is a fantastic country that lends itself well to my theme. There is a lot of empty space, and the light and colors are very beautiful. Just like in France and Portugal. Before the corona lockdown in April, I was on a trip to Japan. I hope to be able to go there soon. Georgia is also high on the list. ”

“I prefer to avoid some countries, such as Thailand. In that country there are not that many interesting places for me and you really don’t want to be caught there. I always make the assessment per country. America is also quite risky because the majority of the population owns a gun and is allowed to shoot. But because there is so much beauty to discover there, I still take the risk. In risky countries I often try to hook up with locals, which often helps me to get a little further. ”

Special reactions
Daan says: “I can be genuinely moved by reactions from admirers. I get the best compliments. Recently I received a card from a woman who had seen my work in the Radiology department of a hospital in Groningen. She said how much impact the photos had on her and her husband, despite the sad period they went through. In a beautiful way they got a lot of comfort from it. The card also included a t-shirt for our newborn son.”

“It is not surprising that my work evokes the necessary emotions. The theme is pretty sad; faded glory. Abandoned and dilapidated places regain their beauty through my photos. That also affects me. Sometimes I just sit on a bench looking at all the beauty around me, and then feel extremely happy.”[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”https://genesispd.nl/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/danoe-nieuws.jpg” image_size=”full”][vc_column_text p_margin_bottom=”20″ width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last” css=”.vc_custom_1608199815291{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Successful cooperation
“The collaboration with Genesis goes as far back as Daanoe exists. During my first real exhibition on the Herengracht in Amsterdam, Eyal Reches came to my exhibition after a tip from a fellow artist. He thought my photos were fantastic, but he didn’t like the material I used. I was very impressed with the test that Eyal then made. That was the start of a successful and long-term collaboration.”

“Over time, some other finishing methods have been added. But most of my work that is offered at art fairs is finished with Liquid Gloss. With this finishing method I put a beautiful and professional product on the market.”

Development
“I taught myself the tricks of the trade. And I keep learning. Since 2008 I have undergone enormous development; in atmosphere, processing and material. Over the years, Genesis has also taken many steps. Thanks to the close collaboration between myself, Genesis and Re-Art, where my works are printed, we are constantly working on the best end result. For all three of us, quality and shelf life are of paramount importance.”

“Art is not the only thing in which I keep developing. For example, in my fourth book I want to achieve a kind of virtual reality effect, so that the reader can feel the tension and experience by standing with me in the location or crawling through a tunnel.”

Joint projects
Daan concludes: “I still have some ideas that I want to pick up with Genesis, but they still have to be worked out. As an artist I want to keep a close eye on the fact that the focus remains on the original work at all times. I used to use brushed aluminum, for example. I still like that very much, but it distracts from what really matters. A photo is not a flat image, it has depth. So, it’s not so much about what you see, but about what you fantasize about. The Liquid Gloss finish has only amplified that so far. And we can certainly take a nice step in that direction.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]