leon riewell
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Das Nichtfinden des Gesuchten+Das finden des Nichtgesuchten
Not finding what you are looking for + finding what you are not looking for Imi Knoebel
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some works
Artistic statement
The Chemistry of Slowness | Ivan D. Dobrev colophon page page page page
some works page 04
In search of .... (nr. 13) | oil on canvas | 20 x 25 cm | 2024
In search of .... (nr. 15) | oil on canvas | 20 x 25 cm | 2024
In search of .... (nr. 19) | oil on canvas | 20 x 25 cm | 2024
In search of .... (nr. 7) | oil on canvas | 20 x 25 cm | 2024
TheChemistry of Slowness | Ivan D. Dobrev
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TheChemistryofSlowness
There isasayingthattounderstandorappreciate the work of a poet, one should have read all of his poetry and not just a fraction of it. This observation is applicable to the artworks of curator & artist Leon Riekwell to a great extent, for his artistic endeavour should be ideally perceived as one body of works. It is a monograph, tending towards the exploration of texture and colour, of intervention and migration of shapes, which constitute the essence of his paintings and art objects.
One of the aspects the attentive viewer may notice is the absence of a concept or some sort of intellectual reflection in the artworks. This is rightly so, as it is not the artist’s intention or way of addressing his subjects.
Leon belongs to this breed of (un)sophisticated artists whose creative mind is expressed by the means of sensation. Or to quote Fernan-do Pessoa – the intellectualization is given in through the expression itself. However, this void of concept is not at all disturbing since it is filled in, - impregnated as it were, with the sway of a massive creative process, which alone already sustains the very approach the artist is familiar and fond of. This is why, if you view his art pieces and do not take the time to comprehend and contemplate on them, you will certainly miss the point. For the viewer would need time to tuneinandadjusttotheinertvibrationofthe art works he/she is looking at. And that vibration, or rather subtle movement, could be summed up in one word: slowness. For that matter, works with such resonance, necessarily
need time to develop and unfold out of the evolution of the artist’s lifelong experience and career inthe art field. Remar-kably,there is a rare quality in his method of approach that derives from the way the artist creates/realizes his objects. His work does not emerge by trained artistic skills but rather through the method of ‘trial and error’, unburdened by art historical context, by giving a carte blanche to experiment as the sole act and joy of the actual process. Here lies the motive and reason for his artistic achievement. It must be said, though, that when standing in front of Leon’s art, at some point we are gently invited to take sides; to ‘like or dislike’ his aesthetics, to find the reason why it fascinate or unsettle us. That answer, however, I shall leave to the spectator, with the note that whatever it is, these art objects possess the capacity to
these art objects possess the capacity to connect with us in a honest, straight and disarming manner.
So, let us take a closer look where this impression and sensation stem from and how it comes, that it is the very key to understanding and appreciation of his work.
When we take the effort to examine and discover the work of Leon, a number of properties capture our attention. Typical are the multi-layered textures and treatment of the paintings, coated with a translucent epoxy varnish as a finishing touch. Underneath is a display of lines, brush strokes and traces arranged in a configuration of random composition or a total lack thereof. Dots and even holes from buckshot encompass the surface of the canvas scattered around as stains without logical or visual relation to the
stains without logical or visual relation to the context of the picture. But at closer look, they do matter; they seem to emerge from inside out, as if to compensate the ordinarily flat and monochromatic, one-dimensional background. It is almost like one looks at the mechanism of a clock, whereas the mechanic is oblivious to the proper working of the device in favour of the beauty of the assembled clock parts.
In style with the suggestive title of this review is the sense of contradiction and ambiguity in the artist’s mode of expression. Often, the pictorial depiction appears somewhat conflicting or tautological due to the seemingly incompatible display (at first glance) of colours and form or through the confirmation of the obvious sight – what you see is what you get. Interestingly enough, this is one of the strengths and charms of
Leon’s paintings, which make them quite distinguished and authentic. These deliberate or accidental (visual) contradictions happen to create interactive zones of tensions and optical spaces. In consequence of that interaction, they somehow transform the image into a narrative with sort of a metaphysical aura. Without this important shift, the work would be deprived of aesthetic meaning; it would represent the conduct of a test on pigments and colours in combination with mix media experimentation. Yet, this experimental attitude during the working process is quite an important part and a motive to a certain degree, since it derives from the artist’s fascination and training in Chemistry sciences.
Leon’s usual consideration towards the making of an art piece does not originate from a
from a worked out plan, that is conceived or designed by a strong concept or critical thinking.Its starting pointcould beprovoked by anything: a conversation, a feeling, a newspaper article... It serves only as a frame, indicating the directionand opening towards the creative process, which, in turn, takes it from there to another dimension, – the dimension of feeling the ‘stuff’ the work should consist of. One could almost say that the creative process and the final realization of the piece are substitutes for one another. There is no such thing as masterful control, except in the order of operations and choice of materials that the artist decides to apply to his objects. The oscillation from exuberant unmixed colour display, such as Persian blue, for instance, to an utterly sterile – paraffin tasting colour surface – reduces the painter’s touch to that of an alchemist, whose interest
touch to that of an alchemist, whose interest is not in the conversion of lead to gold but in the idea of it. If at all, – since the articulation of colour in terms of Leon’s work is rather a of colour in terms of Leon’s work is rather a denial and a positive negation than a performance and utilization of its faculties.
Together with the unconventional materials, the colour is forced to co-exist; it is being influenced, manipulated and almost ‘abused’ by the chemical components the artist treats and permeates his works. And then this is it!
The rest is done by a painstakingly slow, tardy, unpredictable, and uncertain, thoroughly unforgiving and irreversible process of drying, contracting and hardening the imposed materials. spiritually tangible, amazingly preserved in the last definition of the artwork.
The outcome (provided a successful chemi-cal reaction) - a robust and fragile at the same time picture with arrested fluidity of shape and colour; sometimes uncanny, ab-stract or figurative; conducted to perform against its will and law of being – a personi-fication of a reversed entropy. A celebration of life, defying the corruption of the flesh. There emanates a beauty incarnated in the energy of the working process, which is almost spiritually tangible, amazingly pre-served in the last definition of the artwork.
What else could one wish for, when standing in front of a work with that peculiar sound?
The answer: an opening of the inner senses and, especially, the inner listening. For what one sees externally is not that spectacular, nor has it ever been the artist’s purpose. In the course of a such intense and insecure process of the creative act, there comes a process of the creative act, there comes a moment when the painting becomes still, hermetically sealed, shut from the outside noise, prepared to communicate with the viewer by the accumulated energy of its becoming, out of the depth of its existence and loaded muteness. It does not fail to communicate with us from the only space available to it – the slow crystalizing of its making. In this way, we merely become coworkers and accomplices who are invited to participate from within in the intimate moment of the growth of an art piece. In that sense – to rephrase the liberating quote of Joseph Beuys – we too feel like artists.
Ivan D. Dobrev, Ph. D Media, Arts & DesignPXL-MAD School of Arts HasseltBelgium
April, 2024 Maastricht
artistic statement page 00
The search produces abstract , layered and a mostly minimalist image. In addition to the paintings, the glossy works emerge. These are a further investi-gation into the field of tension between two-and three dimensionality, in line with my sculptures. To affect the surface, by the ways a feature, almost a signature in much of my work. A guest in with I realise that at the same time another form of aesthetics emerges.
'The disturbing beauty of the wounded image'
Possibly I am searching for the viewer who shares this experience with me.
From Chaos to Order &Vice Versa
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colophon
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All paintings | Jeroen Witvliet
The Chemistry of Slowness | Ivan D. Dobrev
Ph. D Media, Arts & Design
Faculty PXL-MAD School of Arts Hasselt Belgium
April, 2024 | Maastricht
Photos public conversation | Willy van Houtum / Giel Louws
Photos exhibition | Jeroen Witvliet
Photos artworks | courtesy of ©2023/2024 Jeroen Witvliet
Catalogue | hans overvliet
Thanks to | all the artists
the disturbing beauty of the wounded image
leon riekwell