Thijs Van Gils

A tribute to the beauty of the human form' is the essence of his work, according to Van Gils. His stylised approach to the combination of photography and art is one of the many reasons why Van Gils will be considered as a photographer of difference. Creative art has always been a part of his life, but he needed time before he felt his photography worthy of public display.

Van Gils studied fashion design at the high school of Arts in his mid-twenties, after working as a qualified nurse for several years. Design has fulfilled his creative needs for a long time, but he felt he needed to express himself in a more personal way. In his mid-thirties, Thijs completed a three-year degree at the Academy of Photography in Amsterdam. It seems these various professions have nothing in common, but to Van Gils the similarity is a matter of course: It's all about people. He has made a combination of all of his skills and now works as a free-lance artist/photographer/designer/nurse.

"The human body is a form of art itself, that's what I try to emphasize in my images" van Gils says. "I try to translate my fascination for the beauty of the human body into visual art. Showing the poetry of the human form. Using light and darkness to play with body shapes, in search for fluid lines, square ore round forms, or trying to find rhythm; working with the same object, but looking at it from different views/angels. Trying to bring out its soul"

He utilises different techniques to create an "alternative reality" for his models. Pictures are sometimes hand-printed, toned, bleached, coloured, scanned and re-coloured, others have had hours of processing by computer. Printing grounds can vary from normal photo paper to canvas and some images have screen-printings on top.

"Photography is painting with light" he explains."Using light to express the power and diversity of the human body. The body that always inspires, that's never the same. A simple change of light changes form; different pose is different form. By combining different poses, you create new form: adding lines can emphasize form. A correct use of colour creates the atmosphere I need and makes the image stronger".

"My work is a tribute to the human body. It reflects my personal feelings and admiration. It¹s the beauty of the human form that gets the appreciation of my work, it is not only recognizable for homosexual men, but for everyone".

The collection presented is offered in a special limited edition size and price for Manstouch clients.