These images are called Exactitudes and they’re fascinating. They’re the work of Dutch photographer Ari Versluis and profiler Ellie Uyttenbroek, who got together in 1994 and started taking photos of every social group they could think of. In the last two decades, they’ve photographed everyone from stay-at-home-dads to fur-loving Italian women.
Aunties
(See more of these images here)
“Versluis and Uyttenbroek register their subjects in an identical framework, with similar poses and a strictly observed dress code. “They 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.”
Comments
40 Comments so far
Maybe I’m having an off day, but I really don’t get it.
I mean, can someone explain it? I *really* don’t get it….
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You guys changed the title to “prepare to be stunned by those images”? Seriously I mean really ? I don’t mean to be disrespectful but this is getting hilarious ! next: The stunning wonder of life: You won’t BELIEVE your freaking eyes ! The beard-lady of death!! (or how to painlessly wax your upper lip)
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tattoo babes! me!
although mine wouldn’t be visible whilst posing like that!
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I don’t fit into any of those stereotypes.
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I have seen this by another photographer that was more global (I think).
I’m not a yummy mummy but in the one I saw I definitely fit in with another (mummy) group- trench coat, striped top, scarf, jeans or slim pants…..very funny.
We all have a uniform that defines us (even if you don’t think so).
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That’s pretty much what I wear too.. skinny jeans, striped top, ballet flats and my bugaboo.. It’s almost embarrassing!
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I’ve seen a different one as well, which I thought was more accurate. I could pick out myself and everyone I knew. Does anyone know who it was that did it? I’d love to have another look- it was in one of the sunday newspaper magazines a couple of years ago.
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My Mum is such a volunteer!Amazing.
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This is really clever. We all think we are so individual and yet…
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Oh, how being a hipster has changed!
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I don’t get it! I thought the point to this place is we are all different and we should be celebrating that!! :S
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I’m an auntie, and a city girl, and I have been a barista, but I don’t and never have looked like anybody up there.
I think it’s pretty obviously set up, I don’t get the part where it’s a study.
Enjoyed the pics, but I wouldn’t call them scientific.
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This is the work of Dutch people though, it can’t be exported , it doesn’t translate . I’ve lived in the Netherlands , my husband is Dutch: these people are obsessed with the norm. ” Women who have children have short hair ” is; to them, as obvious as “people wear bathing suits at the beach ” to you , so trying to understand the conformism of Dutch people from such a different and liberal country as Australia isn’t going to happen .Just saying , Dutch culture doesn’t translate …..anywhere .
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Bahahahaha! You’re so right, Dutch culture doesn’t translate. I come from a Dutch family but live in Australia and personally have never been to the Netherlands. Nevertheless, There are things about my family, and clearly about the personality I’ve inherited that still do not and never will translate in Australia. Locally there are many Dutch expats and their families and if someone behaves in an odd way we tend to wink and say ‘oh well, so-and-so is Dutch, what do you expect”.
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My husband and I have made a joke out of this, he used to repeat “Do Normal !!!!” to me whenever I was doing….anything really lol, so I started answering “you mean “Act Dutch” , don’t you ?” so now he just says “Do Dutch!!” lol….it so true though …
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amazing insight! thanks clarinet
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Very interesting. I wasn’t aware of this.
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Hah, I can relate – although not specifically to the Dutch thing. My mother’s parents were German, & even though she & her brothers weren’t born there, there was still such a strong influence that it came down to the second generation (me) as well.
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So they chose 12 people who look similar. They told them how to dress. How to pose. In a fully setup framework- and I’m supposed to think it is almost scientific and anthropological?
No- it’s a carefully constructed image that they have put their own agenda onto.
It might be art. I see no science.
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is it just me or did the ‘tattoo girls’ not really have many tattoos…?
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Like a backpacker, only fatter
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In my vocabulary, Flygirls are known as Chavs.
But no, I don’t fit in.
This makes me supremely happy.
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No, I don’t fit in to any of these, nor do I want to. I’m an auntie and I think I’d have a fit if I ended up looking like that.
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This is freaking awesome!
To me, it’s exploring the stereotypes that exist within a community and I guess each of the sets of images reflects society’s need to categorize people into groups. I remember once reading that stereotypes exist because there are just so many people in the world that to be able to cope with it, we subconsciously (and sometimes consciously) just sort people into groups.
Furthermore I think it explores that fitting into a stereotype is unavoidable and even if we try our best to be non-conformist (for example in the images, by growing a mohawk or dressing like a goth) we will end up conforming to the non-conformist stereotype! (If you get what I mean…)
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I want to be a technohippy! In fact, on googling what that means, I think I am already one – but just not quite as brightly dressed! haha
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Hi Rick
I’m on iPhone and always have trouble with your galleries. The captions never align to the right image and if I try to zoom in on an image it jumps back to the previous image and zooms in on that….
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Had to giggle at the “wordly” gentlemen
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I don’t think they thought of many categories! Couldn’t see me or many people I know.
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The VIPs look more like wannabe boy band members. The dont look very important to me!
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I don’t get it
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Neither do I. If I look like those Aunties shoot me now.
Don’t get it at all…
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I think he’s just gone looking for people who look the same. I’m an auntie and I don’t look anything like that.
It would be far more interesting if he’d gone for people who really are [name of pigeonhole] and showed their diversity.
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Actually Elli, your suggestion of a range of diverse people in (name of pidgeon hole) would be great. Probably a great message too, re appreciating diversity and not having to feel you fit in, as well as being great people gazing!
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Just spent ages trying to find me in there. I can’t see me. So, to answer the question: No. I guess I don’t fit in.
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Congrats! And I don’t fit in either – quite a relief….
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Could you explain this a bit further? It sounds really interesting but what are the images- are they actually grouped into categories of people who have similar interests and happen to look alike, or are they just grouped because they look the same? The link doesn’t work and the article hasn’t really gone into any depth.
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You fixed it Rick while I was typing my comment. Thanks, will go check it out.
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Yeah – I’d like to know more behind his intentions.
I don’t seem to fit into any of his categories.
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Hey Mamamia – that link doesn’t work and you might want to check the spelling of category!
Cool story, though.
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Fixed it, had a rogue ‘i’ for some reason. Thanks.
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