Photographer Ari Versluis and stylist Ellie
Uyttenbroek have pursed their interest in the
diversity of social groups and the commonality of
dress codes for over twelve years. Their massive
series Exactitudes, a contradiction
of “exact”
and “attitudes”, is the result of a careful
collaboration that combines stylistic control with
documentary objectivity. By photographing their
subjects in an identical framework, with similar
poses and a strictly observed dress code,
Versluis and Uyttenbroek provide an almost
scientific, anthropological record of people’s
attempts to distinguish themselves from others by
assuming a group identity. The apparent
contradiction between individuality and uniformity
is, however, taken to such extremes in their
arresting objective-looking photographic viewpoint
and stylistic analysis that the artistic aspect clearly
dominates the purely documentary element.



Based in Rotterdam, where the heterogeneous,
multicultural street scene served as their
inspiration and primary source for several years,
their collaboration now frequently extends to
countries abroad, including Brasil, China, Morocco,
Africa, Italy and the United States. Their installation
for CONTACT provides an overview of the scope
and complexity of Exactitudes, which now
includes more than 90 different groups of 12
subjects.
Recent exhibitions include Centro Cultural Borges,
Buenos Aires; Fotoseptiembre Centro de Imagen,
Mexico City; Museum Boymans van Beuningen,
Rotterdam; and the International Fashion and
Photography Festival Hyeres, France.