These rules hang in my studio, to remind myself which direction I want the artwork to go. It doesn’t mean I achieve this every time, but it is what I strive for
Some further ideas about art :
falling in love with art
The ideal artwork is something to fall in love with. It should be strangely, strongly self-evident in an organic way, meaning this artwork is the only way it could be, the only way it could be made. It has power like a sacred object, something you want to return to again and again. Every time you look at the artwork, it gives you something to take with you.
the joy of the tactile
To me, the joy of the tactile is very important in art, how it feels or better : how you imagine it would feel, were you allowed to touch it. Playful experiments and original use of materials give a piece of art a strong presence, something you are drawn to, a small feast of materialized ideas.
handmade
I like it when art objects are not perfect, but clearly handmade. Drawings and paintings don’t have to be smooth and perfect; imperfect ones with an unmistakably handmade edge are often more attractive. Like in music, where the offbeat gives charm and attraction. Handmade objects make you see someones hand in the world. Realising there is a person who made this object, makes you more aware that art is not just about the beautiful object but art is also about communication. Art communicates visual ideas and colors.
Only when the viewer is touched emotionally, is it possible for the art to get ideas across. With art that is pleasing to the eye, it is easier to attract viewers. After the first moments of attraction, the viewer is intrigued enough to discover the ideas behind the artwork.
Art without snobbery
Art should be strong enough to upheld itself against the sofa, and the designer lamp in a living room ( or for that matter in any other room). The space to show your work, doesn’t have to be a perfect clean white box. Only when the artwork hangs in a ‘living’ space, the power of art becomes noticeable. If the art is good, and the room a good fit, the work will sparkle and bring something new in the room, something outlandish in the space, something against the grain.
a human touch on the wall
I like to use tactile materials in my art. The tactile qualities contrast well to the modern smooth surfaces in our homes. It makes you look at your living space in a new way.
Hanging something handmade on a wall, makes you more aware that the wall and space itself were also made by hands, by people building houses and making homes for other people. Art above the sofa is not a cliché, but actually a very good point for an artist to consider. How can art above the sofa change a house into a special, personal place ? Make it rock ?
Ideas
I like a business kind of thinking as an artist. Art is not just the wooshy-waashy-kind-of-feeling-blabla-make-a-mess-in-the-studio-kind-of-work, but it is a business as well. Business not in the sense of prioritizing making money, but it is more about sharing ideals and values. You want a business because you have ideas to share, ideas that hopefully make a difference in the world.
Connection
For me connection is at the core of art. I don’t make art for myself or because I love to spend time in my studio ( although I do love to spend time in my studio) Art connects when it gets ideas across. By sharing my art, I want to start conversations, change the way you see things, through a shared love of the materials, the colors, the shapes, the artwork.
Joy
Buying art should be a pleasant, adventurous experience, a joy. Visiting an art show, or gallery, makes you aware how art influences a space, and what it can do for your own living space.
Presenting art in an innovative way, in an inspirational environment, makes it easier for people to fall in love with art, and make their own personal place rock. The thoughts and ideas oozing from the artwork, resonates every time you enter the room because art is not just about decorating a room, art makes a space come alive.