The function of art is to be UTTERLY dis functional
Artist statement
In a functional world, art serves no purpose. My creations aim for a sense of personal freedom and inner discovery. Yet, I cannot be blind to the fact the works are impacting others and the universe around me. Although art should be subjective and a-political, Picasso's La Guernica is hard to deny as a powerful anti-war statement. Still, I view the process of art-making beyond the functionality of products and mere aesthetics. This contradiction defines my artistic purpose.
The attention theft machine
Source of inspiration
Our attention is hijacked, our privacy sold to big capital. And with the aid of smart tech we are being turned into screen-addicted consumer zombies, chasing dreams. Trapped in an attention machine, our hearts ache from our lives being manipulated.
Infobesity and visual overload
Background
Concerns about information overload date back to ancient times. In the 1990s, email overload was a struggle; only to be intensified by social media. We all became part of the attention economy, either as victims or perpetrators of a massive attention theft. In the digital age, information overload is inevitable, akin to a disregarded disease. It's a love/hate relationship that I battle by transforming visual chaos into something with a more coherent meaning.
A fragmented subcounsiousness
I visualize the endless digital influx as a chaotic blend of commercialized visuals, social media posts, billboards. Scrolling through diverse images and messages, I wonder how this overstimulation affects our dreams. my own thoughts and Emotions drowning amid the flood of this content overload. I’m hoping my subconscious processes it all into a fragmented dreamstate with it’s blend of unique colors and a certain pulsating harmony
Working process
Digital painting
My approach is deliberate and meditative, akin to painting with oil paint. Only difference I inclusively work with pixels and vectors. Working on multiple pieces simultaneously, It takes me months to get them right. Blending layers until the screen becomes a canvas. Daily walks in the forest inspire me to look for natural chaos. The sweet spot is where pixel perfection meets a sort of fauvist abstract expressionism. From afar, it's harmonious, in a rococo way; up close, individual elements fight for attention.
Blending layers
In crafting my large-scale works, digital pixels and vectors play a pivotal role. I begin by gathering images from diverse stock sites, combining them with photos from my phone.
blurring boundaries
Simultaneously, I use Procreate to paint on an iPad, seamlessly blending layers until the boundaries between photography and the digital paint blur. These pieces are expansive, ranging from 4 meters wide to 2 meters tall.
Closing statement