STATEMENT (2023)
My long fascination with exotic worlds led to many distant travels and an exotic music project. Research into the source of this interest took me back to my early childhood: an in-between area of past and present, a period when open-mindedness, naiveté timelessness, fantasy slowly gave way to plans, goals, limitations, clarity.
The Danish philosopher Kierkegaard wrote, “Life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forward. And I work in the spirit of Kierkegaard: you live life forward, understanding it only in retrospect.
My old photographs and vague memories take shape as blurred figurative elements and associative abstractions in acrylic paint on canvas. On the canvas, the unresolved questions leave room for interpretation: room for contemplation, a search for the core and an occasion to be transported back to one’s own nature.
BIOGRAPHY
My artist career started with a training at the Graphics Department at the Academy of Visual Arts in Arnhem. This was followed by a long, varied career as a graphic designer, illustrator (ao Volkskrant, vpro-gids), teacher, pop musician, composer of film music / commercials and world traveler.
Decades playing as a guitarist in various bands finally led to the successful 2-man project Black Market Audio. The catchy, danceable instrumental music has been used extensively in commercials (Michelob, Toyota, Renault, Bufetti), TV series and films. The albums ‘Autorama’ and ‘Shake’ have been released in Japan and Italy.
With Black Market Audio I have done the research / design for two compilation CDs; ‘Dutch Rare Groove’ and ‘Dutch Exotica’. The latter compilation is also an example of the combination of two passions: travel and music.
For four years I was one of the founders of the Multimedia Academy in Amersfoort. But then I decided to focus exclusively on my passions: travel, music and art.
Under the name BlueHipster I made many cartoons, illustrations (including Volkskrant, vpro-gids) and paintings.
On YouTube there is a collection of 21 multimedia projects in which my passions travel, music, poetry and art come together via my website.
In 2010 I returned from Utrecht to my native region and opened a house/gallery ‘De Heerlijkheid van Wisch’ in Terborg. After a period of various projects and experiments, I have found my own personal visual language.
EXPOSITIONS (selection):
2022 12 aug – 11 sep Foto21 Bredevoort (Kunstrijders)
2022 15-31 juli Kunstbalkon Kassel Germany (Kunstrijders, during Dokumenta)
2021 augustus – Driekoningenkapel Doetinchem (Kunstrijders)
2020 07 augustus – 27 september Koppelkerk Bredevoort (Kunstrijders)
2020 march Sint-Galluskerk Angerlo
2019 august-september Arkaden Bocholt Germany
2019 Kunst in de Winkel Aalten
2019 22 june – 22 sept Eye-Candy23 Galerie Anita Ammerlaan Roosendaal
2019 08 april – 04 may Bibliotheek Hengelo (Ov)
2019 03 march – 07 april 2019 Galerie Orso d’Oro – Wehl
2016 Augustus-September – exposition Sluijter & Meijer Witte de Withstraat 48A Rotterdam
2010-2019 Galerie ‘De Heerlijkheid van Wisch’ Terborg
2010-2014 Warnars & Warnars Kunsthandel in Naarden-Vesting
2010 September – Open Art Fair Utrecht
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