Henk Tas

Henk Tas (b. 1948, Rotterdam, the Netherlands) constructs photographic works that are generally inspired by 20th century icons from North American popular culture, from Disney figures to his idol Elvis Presley.

Tas is a fervent collector of pictures, plastic figurines and other props from this world of popular culture, which he uses to construct his compositions and create his own nostalgic universe. Tas also utilises photographs as basis for his work, similar to the way Andy Warhol produced his pop art work – artistic and aesthetic traditions are pushed aside and the artist’s personal touch is banished.

Tas studied drawing and painting at the Art Academy in Rotterdam, then, in the 1980s, when photography blossomed as the postmodern art medium par excellence, Tas eagerly joined the trend with his appropriations of existing photos.

He also producing silk screen prints, mosaics and staged photographs. The latter category comprises scenes with plastic figures, from Bambi to the Everly Brothers, which are then photographed. Tas’s work manages to be both humorous and melancholy at the same time.