Drawing for untitled, 2003 Teun Hocks painting the backdrop for untitled, 2003

Teun Hocks is not a conceptual artist. You don't need an artist's statement to understand his work, instead it slaps you in the face with a wet, cold fish. I was laughing before I opened this book, and didn't stop for weeks. Hocks works in a deadpan slapstick fashion to get his images. Although he poses for all of his work, he insists that he isn't this everyman who tries to shoot stars out of the sky. The works are complicated to produce. From initial drawings Hocks then assembles the set, painting backdrops and props. He then photographs himself in the set in black and white, makes an enlargement and paints that image in transparent colour so that the photograph shows through. The works are mostly done alone, although sometimes a visitor or family member will trip the camera's shutter at the correct time. The ideas for the images are a result of many sketches and can be modified over time as the drawings sit in books until Hocks rediscovers them. The two images here show the process followed for the cover photo.

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