In my series “Uyt eenen tijt” the central theme is temperance. I have chosen this theme as it refers to the present economic situation. We realise there is an end to growth and we need to develop a more enduring life style. Experiencing that we can be happy with less .Value that which we have and treasure the old. Re use, exchange or share with one another. The quality, value and sustainability of products and services are becoming more and more important.
The measure in which images and objects appear more and more fleeting and become irrelevant at an increasing speed makes me conscious of the need to treasure the the past. This feeling is made even stronger by the excitement around the reopening of the Rijksmuseum. It is my way of paying tribute to that past.
The theme may not be apparent at first sight in my work You see lot’s of juicy and colourful fruit, crisp bread, glasses filled with wine, luxurious drapes reminiscent of the opulent paintings from the Golden Age, a time of abundance.
Yet moderation is a returning theme in 17th century paintings. These paintings contain many symbols warning the onlooker for the false charm of this abundance.
This inspired me to make still life in which this deeper meaning can be discovered as well. With objects, lighting and deployment that remind us of these 17th century paintings.
For example in the 17th century a lemon was used the make a sweet wine less sweet. In the still life the lemon was a symbol of temperance. For this very reason you will see a lemon in all of the pictures in this series.
To help me create the ambiance of this time I need to work with objects that have a history. They need not be 400 years old but one has to see that they have been used and have a history of their own. In a way my search for these objects using Ebay or the local second hand store is part of this new search for temperance.
Just like the painters I try to capture the various textures of the objects; the skin of the orange, the reflecting surface of the glass or the tin or the fabric of the woollen rug. Where the painter uses his brush I utilise lighting . A process that can take days even weeks to achieve the result I strive for.
