What does it mean to be unique, and how does our physical appearance—both natural and chosen—play into the concept of individuality? Are we struggling to stand out or to fit in?

For 13 years, Rotterdam-based photographer Ari Versluis and stylist Ellie Uyttenbroek have created works of art to explore these questions. In their photographic series Exactitudes®—a contraction of “exact” and “attitudes”—the duo observes naturally occurring patterns of self-presentation within social groups. They approach individuals in public, carefully pose them, and photograph them against a neutral background. The resulting works of art are presented as three-by-four grids of portraits, depicting a dozen examples from any given social group: punks with mohawks, fur-wearing socialites, Chinese schoolboys, and many more.

While works from the Exactitudes® series have been acquired by numerous private and museum collections, the Toledo Museum of Art is the first museum to acquire all 88 photographs in the series. In our new free exhibition, Exactitudes®: Ones of a Kind, discover these fascinating photographic studies in unconscious uniformity taken in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the United States.

While each mini-group of twelve is interesting on its own, the impact of the project is only really perceived when looking at multiple works together. Perhaps most intriguing is the way the “sameness” of the portraits, while immediately striking, also allows unexpected aspects of the subjects’ individuality to shine through. Take a walk through Gallery 18 and marvel at Exactitudes®: Ones of a Kind—88 complex, fascinating, amusing, and provocative works of art. Where do you fit in?

Take Exactitudes® home! A full-color, hardbound catalogue of all 88 works will be available for sale in the Museum Store in mid-April. Call 419-254-5766 to pre-order now, and be sure to present your Museum membership card for your 10% discount.

Left: Praise (L) and Carry Daddies (R) by Ari Versluis and Ellie Uyttenbroek, from the series Exactitudes®.