Saturday 31 March 2012

Drawing Continues

Researching pose-body relation 2012
Yesterday we celebrated our 6420 days of friendship, I decorated the table, got flowers and cooked us a very spicy dinner! Our get-togethers are like my favorite clothes;  effortlessly comfortable mixed with a posh edge. And our laughter is the diamond studded brim! You didn't expect any of this so to see the surprise in your eyes gave me the biggest gratification. From the linen napkins, the Louis XIV silver cutlery to the crystal glasses that sing when we toast, you drank every little detail with the expression of wonder and joy. You love your family unconditionally, but having a little boy and a baby can get the better part of any mother! No worries they all went through it. So to sit back and enjoy the luxury of someone that has taken care of every little detail can indeed be a blissful experience. It was when we had our soup that you asked about my development and what it is I'm currently working on.  I showed you some photo's and talked about the graduation show ideas when you interrupted me with the question;' have you stopped drawing and painting?' I answered that; while they are not very high on my priority list right now, I would always be occupied with them on some level or another. And then I sort of forgot about the subject and we went on... 

First sketch about Boxed Head performance 2012
At 08:30 this morning I received your text message saying you still experienced an afterglow from last night. But my eyes didn't see daylight until 12:30, I guess motherhood kicked back in... While I poured myself a cup of coffee I thought about last night and before I could fill the cup I was going through my sketchbook and saw that it was filled with little ideas, sketches and other drawings. Realizing that it IS an important way to express myself, so I should include it in some way or another during the graduation exhibit in July! THANK YOU JENNEKE! For addressing something I take for granted and that might be very helpful for viewers to read my work. I've put my money on another 6420 days, just so you know!
XDX

Sunday 25 March 2012

Curiosity - Experiment - Experience




The three words above this post are a driving force to keep making new work. People have asked me 'but why do you collect a Pony Performance?' or 'why do you want to bury your head in the earth?' I answer; why do we have the Olympic Games, why do we listen to music, why do we enjoy a walk through a landscape or do we lay on our backs looking at the clouds? Why do these things make us feel alive? They give us an experience that seems very important but it doesn't nourish our physical needs.


I've read 'The Naked Man' by Desmond Morris and although I found it pretty outdated at times, it also approached human kind as another species of animal on the planet earth. For me that was the most interesting element of the book and it was beneficial for my thesis. His chapter about the human need for beauty, art and expression was very insightful. And lingers in the corners of my mind. For there are many things we can't explain in this world. Expression is one of those things people everywhere on earth use by sound, clothing and decorations. Not only to be more attractive, or to tell a story nor even to show their power. Objects wether they are given magical powers or not, are also used for the cheer joy they bring to the mind. The experience of 'wonder' one gets or 'anxiety', even the reaction of 'rejection' when a person is experiencing a piece of art is just as valuable and justified as all others. But art does more, it wants some effort from the viewer. It has its own rules and regulations and can often be dismissed as to rational.


Yes, contemporary art does seem to involve the mind for a great deal. But never forget that we perceive our surroundings with all our senses! Sight, sound, smell and taste are indicators that send little pieces of information to our brains. Where we can translate emotions and thoughts and are able to talk about our experiences. Art being the territory where the 'All Is Possible' does not have to comply with the value of aesthetics.  As example you see three pictures that I shot this weekend. The most important aspect for me is that they are seen as a residue from a performance. That starting point given, I value the photo on the left much more as a sculpture. The one in the middle is more 2 dimensional with only my mouth and the earth as information carriers. And the first one above the page deals much more with motion, movement and time. It is more unsettling than the other two due to the fact it is much more 'in your face'. Once I've deciphered this series I can take a look at them and separate the ones I like from the ones I don't like. And a whole new process of looking, choosing and remaking can begin.

Friday 23 March 2012

28 GB LOST



Making a performance with more people demands different rules and regulations. In this case my concept was about time, it's unpredictable but recurring state of beginning and end. And whatever happens in the meantime? A continuous force of elements that bounce off one another and creates new interactions. This performance was inspired by the loss of my entire digital music library! About 28 GB was wiped from my laptop at the time and was projected into the void! Now, a few years later my itunes uses 65 GB musical power for my pleasure. And this time it has been copied onto various external hard disks, together with pictures, videos and other documents. This performance ventilated my frustration at the time and with the use of the group materialized that I wasn't the only one to lose those digits...

Thursday 22 March 2012

Wine And Dine

First Concept Telescoping Dining Table with Birds  

My interest in animal experimentation is a steady source that provides me with all sorts of visual imagery. In this attempt I would like to see a variety of birds that get together for a fancy dinner party. Arriving one after the other, to take up ever inch of free space they accumulate by sound and personalities a peak that will shatter all tableware. Leaving a complete and devastated mess behind. It would be fantastic to record this event in real time. The birds with their unpredictable behavior might count for some unexpected events. Will it work? Or is it a lost case to begin with? And should I make an attempt to get some serious SGI guys onboard?  Or it might be a mix of both, doves seem to be rather friendly in comparison with Toucans or other Parrots. So maybe they could be added in a digital way? I have to get more information about the possibilities and what species I would like to use. To be continued...

Tuesday 20 March 2012

Transfixed

Muhabbat at Times Square New York City 2012

Sunday 18 March 2012

The BIG Apple

Picture taken from my seat from
US Airlines plane 06-03-12
Arriving at New York LaGuardia Airport made the spirits of the group rise. This was enhanced by the fact that our plane had its course straight over a night lit, downtown Manhattan! The view was breathtaking, one huge blanket of light was spread out over an enormous amount of land. Although the five of us (yes we missed our connecting flight from Phil to NY) added up to a total of about 40 passengers onboard, the impact of the view had everyone under its spell. And while the cabin attendant merrily spoke over the intercom that all electronic devises such as ipod's, ipad's, blackberry's, blueberry's and raspberry's should be switched off during our decent, we were all highly anticipating the adventure that was spread out under our feet. Collecting our luggage, into the bus and on our way to the hotel. Yes we saw the city towers rise in the distance, slowly becoming bigger. But when the bus drove up the Brooklyn Bridge on its course to enter the city, all the lights of the buildings made their second massive impression. This was like nothing I'd seen before. It seemed that they had captured the universe from the spheres above and brought it down to vertical lines that made it impossible to measure scale or depth. And while we moved ahead new buildings arose with  equally lid little stars that I had to remind myself were windows where people were working. No picture, movie or story can contain the effect of New York's first impression, I can only tell you it starts with a BANG!