Artist Statement

Being both an artist and an architect, the main theme in my work is the study of human behaviour in inner environments.

Central themes are time, speed, movement, light as well as meditation. I am interested in the way we approach, move through and behave in spaces.

I create enclosed spaces, as a starting point for each composition. and look for the spaces within. My search involves finding out more of the specifics of what we already know instead of looking for new distractions. I search for a common denominator in every individual as well as a determination of small differences. 

We have a lot of personal relations with the spaces that surround us, like the homes we live in, or the places in which we work. The connecting spaces are just as important. The ones we pass by, moving from one place to another. I see my works as those connecting spaces. They help define the spaces we know and have impact on what we take from them. This is applicable to architecture in general. The spaces between the threads in my work are just as important as the shapes they form and the shadows they cast. Space is just as important as the physical borders which hold it. The transparency of the works takes away the insecurity of what is not seen and is honest and sincere.

My works form a solid, ordered reality. Searching for compositions I find inspiration in (micro)cosmological events and mathematical issues, and in interactions that are taking place in those 3D environments, free from our limited perspective on gravity and everyday physics. Explosions, collusions, floating forms, relations between independent objects.

I consider my audience ‘experiencers’;for it is not by merely viewing that my work is comprehended. I incorporate the human body in the experience as a tool to give the intellect a smaller role. This stimulates learning by experience. One will try to find out what is going on in the works. By moving around the story develops. Participation brings far more insight than being a static viewer. I find this analogous to how we interact with our surroundings and with other people.

Through the use of abstract materials, almost singular in character, it is very hard to find a good physical focus in my compositions. One might get quite dizzy experiencing my work. In this physical experience time seems to stand still. This could provoke a moment of meditation, which in itself is one of the aims of my work. 

Creating new work is a process of turning chaos into order. I start by sketching random shapes on paper, continuously drawing until I find interesting combinations. Mathematically describable shapes and rhythms function as a rational test for my compositions. It is easier to relate to these shapes because they are founded in universal truth. Creating a successful composition is reliant on balancing reason, math, complexity and gut feeling. 

I consider my work accessible to all. It is universally recognizable and free from politics. It relates to knowledge we all share and therefore to questions we all have about our own existence. Modern time has an incredible pace. Slowing down, being quiet, standing still, hiding are dismissed too easily.

The final process entails fine-tuning and looking for hidden forms, where shapes either clash or complement each other. I choose distances between threads and shapes and search for the most interesting perspective for the works. I am always reflecting on life outside the drawing board, and incorporate interpersonal connections, natural phenomena and reflections on other artists’ works. Finally I dive into extreme detail to finish the composition.

Using wires is a direct result of my practice as an architect. The wireframe models from 3D software turn out to be a great medium for making minimalistic work. More wires give more colour, less wires give more space and light. My work renders the desire of connecting people. Often overlooked is the fact that everyone recognizes the unfinished shapes as either spheres, or tubes, or beams, or cubes, or planes. In completing the works there is always a tension in finding the minimal and enriching the work with bright fields of colour. 

For me and probably for a great many others, it sometimes seems impossible to grasp the scope of big changes, big projects and global processes. In my art I work to make these processes more comprehensible. Each art work requires drilling 2 to 4 thousand holes and connecting these with kilometres of thread or wire. The trick is to think and perform methodically, hole after hole, thread after thread. The process is meditative. It is a continuous repetition of the same steps demanding a concentrated flow. The progress is reassuring and rewarding. Shortly after starting finishing it seems inevitable instead of impossible.

As both an artist and an architect I find my art in the tension between the two professions. This in-between space has always fascinated me. My freedom to move between these occupations inspires me to investigate transformations. Only when we move and choose another angle can we truly find perspective.