Saturday, April 05, 2014

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR ART STUDENTS

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR ART STUDENTS

  On a regular basis I receive mails from students all over the world, with questions on my work. Replying them cost me a lot of time. Since I do not want to disappoint anyone, I always do reply. But from now on, one can check this blogpost, which I will complement with new Q&A's every now and then.

1.   Q: How do you design your paintings?
A: My abstract paintings arise on the canvas layer by layer. No sketches! My figurative paintings are based on sketches and pictures.
2. Q: What tools do you use to get the different textures?
A: I use brushes, palette knives and my hands.
3. Q: How do you come with the names for your paintings?
A: They arise during creation of the painting.
4. Q: Why do you have features that are realistic and parts that are abstract?
A: For the simple reason that I like to create both!
5. Q. What paint do you use?
A: I use acrylics
6. Q: Do you also use a medium to make the paint thicker?
A: No, and don't use a medium.

7: Q: Can you post a video to show how you work?
A: No.

8. Q: What does art mean to you?

A: My life. I can't live without. It makes everything more beautiful, meaningful. And by creating it myself, I can express myself.

9. Q: When did you discover art?
A: I grew up with it. My father is an artist as well. It went playfully.
10. Q: According to you, are there any limits on art?
A: Yes and No! Yes, because some say something is art, when to me it is nothing more than putter-work. Yes, because some declare something to be a piece of art, which is totally incomprehensible to others. For example, a piece of rope, hanging down from the ceiling, amplified with some bullshit story. To me that is not art. NO (and now I am contradicting myself), because everything should be possible. If you observe the world the an open mind, there is so much more to discover! NO, because I myself, always say that there are no bounderies on my work, nor what it has to depict.

11. Q: Does your mood influence the work you are creating? Or is the other way around?
A: What's going on in my body and mind, I express with paint on canvas. It's not only my job, it works also therapeutical. I only get moody, if I can't manage to express it in the proper way. But most of the time that is not the case!

12. Q: Do you works come from a fantasy, or is it a copy of reality?
A. Both. The abstract works are no fantasy. It just arises, from the urge to express 'my reality' with paint on canvas. Next it is to the spectator, to use his/her imagination. The figurative works are fantasy, but partially based on reality.
13. Q: Do you experience fantasy as a kind of lust.
A: I do think so, yes.
14. Q: In the 60's art started to appear in tv-commercials. Do you think commercials are art? Do you think art can be used for commercials?
A: Commercials are no art, it is pure marketing. But it absolutely can be made very artfully!

15. Q: Do you think the value of art is always equal to the financial value it sometimes gets?
A: Absolutely not. Sometimes a piece of art is worth much more, than what someone wants to pay for it. But most of the time, it is the other way around. Works of old masters and a select group of contemporary artists often are sold, through auctions, for disproportionate high values. In my opinion they may be worth a lot, but the millions and billions that are now issued for this are completely insane.