Exactitudes

Best Dutch Book Design 2002

Inspired by interest in the striking dress codes of various social groups, Rotterdam-based photographer Ari Versluis and stylist Ellie Uyttenbroek have systematically documented numerous identities. They call their series ‘Exactitudes’: a contraction of ‘exact’ and ‘attitude’. By registering their subjects in an identical framework they provide an almost scientific record of people’s attempts to distinguish themselves from others by assuming a group identity. The apparent contradiction between individuality and uniformity is taken to such extremes that the artistic aspect dominates the purely documentary element. Rotterdam’s heterogeneous street scene remains a major source of inspiration for them, although they have also worked in South America, Asia and Africa.