The ‘Above’ refers to the sky, the cosmic and the spiritual. The ‘Below’ refers to our planet, the earthly and the physical. An old saying as above so below suggests that these two dimensions – the cosmic and the earthly – are a reflection of one another, working together as two layers of the same existence. In the project Above Below, these two realities are brought together in a collection of photographs, addressing the human interplay with ecology. 

In this body of work Rogier Houwen observes the interplay between the cosmic and the earthly dimensions. The cycle of the moon is reflected in the tides of the ocean and the cycle of the sun is reflected in the seasons. At night, the sunlit moon illuminates the first spring blossoms while a candle reveals a luminous spot before the light extinguishes. Stars are born and pass away and in a cup of hot chocolate we are shown a solar eclipse. These observations all relate to the sense that we have when we are out in nature, looking at the stars; the sense of being part of an ecological whole.