Behind the seen

In the series Behind the Seen, girls are presented in exaggerated costumes to highlight the hyperreal tropes of femininity. Her series is an appropriation of the theatrical idiom “behind the scenes”. For the artist, this refers to what is behind the visible and behind the facade. She employs both pop and contemporary elements and uses embellishments of puffed sleeves, large collars and crinoline dresses to emphasize the enduring power of femininity. Her portrait compositions are drawn from paintings by the Old Masters, and the mesmerizing dichotomy she creates is realized within a dreamy, playful atmosphere.
As a mother of two daughters, childhood has become a leitmotif in her oeuvre. She has become inspired by their world of imagination, how unabashed curiosity ushers in a fascinating path to consciousness through innocent bliss. It is this transition from pure naiveté to experience that fascinates Van den Berg.

Digital collages

Barbara van den Berg’s digital collages are an assemblage of photographs of children, men and women that embodies the diversity and complexity of humanity.