
ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS
How’s this for a great occupation?
- Alice van Kempen searches the internet for abandoned sites across Europe. I’d be great at that.
“You have to be sort of like Sherlock Holmes to find out where they are.” – That lucky so-and-so, Alice van Kempen
- She travels to the locations she discovers, and explores them. Travel? Exploration? I’m in.
- She is accompanied by her 3-year-old Bull Terrier, Clair. Trusty sidekick? Even better.
- She then poses and photographs the intrepid Clair in those gorgeous locations. Sign me up.
I love ruins. I could easily see myself wandering the world, taking pictures of, well, something. I’ll need a sidekick. What about this thing? Or maybe this one? No? Alright, it’s a work in progress, but you get the idea.
Anyway, I’m 100% certain you’re going to love van Kempen’s photos of the lovely Clair. Maybe she’d loan me the dog . . .

ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS

ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS

ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS

ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS

ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS

ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS

ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS

ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS

ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS

ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS

ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS

ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS

ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS

ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS

ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS

ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS

ALICE VAN KEMPEN/CATERS NEWS

January 9, 2016 at 7:13 am
Oh these are just brilliant, so original 🙂
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January 9, 2016 at 12:28 pm
Aren’t her poses the business? And what a good dog!
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January 9, 2016 at 12:42 pm
Yes, it is a good dog to be posed and dressed up 🙂
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January 9, 2016 at 9:37 am
The photos are gorgeous (some of them are even a little haunting), and so is Clair. Our dogs are 14 now, and are a couple of lazy bums who won’t even wear a birthday hat.
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January 9, 2016 at 12:28 pm
That made me laugh!
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January 9, 2016 at 9:55 am
For an artist, I wonder what it feels like for something just to “click”. That moment when they understand what they are going to do for a significant part of their life. I have heard musicians talk about it…but never writers or painters or photographers.
From what I gather about writers, they’ve always known they wanted to write. Perhaps that revelation just came too young to be able to pin it down. Picking up a pen is not like picking up a guitar…I guess.
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January 9, 2016 at 12:30 pm
I think that’s true. As a writer, you’re expected to constantly reinvent yourself. I think fashion is that way, too. But visual artists are forgiven if they do one thing and one thing only.
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January 9, 2016 at 2:15 pm
Probably it is because the feel of these locations all carry such a deep haunting signature for me that my inner being just reacts uncomfortably to the images. And, well, I’ve never been keen for Animal Kin to be “dressed up,” rather I see Divinity has created them perfectly just as they are. Those are just my head trips, I know.
However, there is one shot that is a real stand-out for me and that is the stained glass with Pup standing center. That shot is beautiful… to me.
Thanks for finding and sharing, Donna.
Blessings…
Cap’n Toni….
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January 9, 2016 at 2:20 pm
That’s my favorite, too! Clair looks like she’s preaching in that one. So glad you like it!
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January 9, 2016 at 9:37 pm
Wow! I would love these photos even if they were just of ruined, decayed locations. The fact there is a cute dog posing in them who looks like the perfect photographer’s model amps the charm way on up the scale. That dog is a more compliant model than my kids for goodness sakes.
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January 9, 2016 at 10:46 pm
That is a VERY good dog (which is NOT to say that your children are not very good children, but it sounds like wouldn’t make very good dogs. Just saying.)
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January 9, 2016 at 10:35 pm
Clair looks so content in all of them like she truly enjoys her role! Delightful concept, beautiful photos!
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January 9, 2016 at 10:47 pm
Very glad you liked them!
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January 10, 2016 at 2:24 pm
These photos are cool and Clair is an amazingly good sport. But yes, you need a trusty side-kick that is not a dodo bird or a slug.
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January 10, 2016 at 2:54 pm
Fine. What would you suggest?
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January 11, 2016 at 8:42 am
That dog might need a hazmat suit.
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January 11, 2016 at 10:37 am
I was thinking the same thing.
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January 12, 2016 at 2:34 am
These photos are fantastic!
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January 12, 2016 at 8:47 am
They really are!
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January 14, 2016 at 12:06 pm
It’s amazing how tolerant dogs are. I love bull terriers and I love some of the abandoned spots she found. P.S.–I would make a great sidekick.
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January 14, 2016 at 12:38 pm
Melissa, I will carefully consider your application, and should the position of sidekick open up, I’m sure we’ll be in touch!
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January 14, 2016 at 3:49 pm
I’ll keep my sidekicking skills sharp, just in case.
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January 14, 2016 at 4:43 pm
Excellent plan.
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