Jeroen Witlviet "Vessels"

Jeroen Witvliet

Jeroen Witvliet Vessels 2021

Forward I was born in the Netherlands. I would like to be objective and without irony when describing myself but that is an impossibility. Therefore what I can say is that I see myself as a person who tries to make sense of the world by being inquisitive, sensitive and creative. I screw up many things and occasionally do something that makes me take a step back. It then makes me realize that the complexity of being in the world for me means that I should accept the mystery and wonder but also the anguish and solitude.

In this new series titled Vessels, the paintngs are based on statues of historical figures. Some are political leaders, kings, commanders and a painter. All are seen as of importance to the building of a nation or in shaping a culture. They can not be seen as they were seen before, at the time the statues were erected, glorified and without fault. There is a clash and violence inherent in most of the statues and the era they represent.

The Silent, 2021 Oil on canvas 190 x 150 cm (74.8” x 59”) $12,500

The Silent, (detail)

Guanahaní is an island in the Bahamas that was the first land in the New World sighted and visited by Christopher Columbus’ first voyage, on 12 October 1492. Columbus changed “Guanahani” from its native Taíno name to San Salvador as we know it today.

Guanahani, 2021 Oil on canvas 190 x 135 cm (74.8” x 53”) $12,000

Shipwreck, breaking of the vessel 2020 Oil on canvas 180 x 240 cm (70.8” x 95”) $11,500

In my practice I have always been interested in using geometric shapes and patterns to define space, control and chaos. The multi-coloured geometric backdrops in these paintings act like a curtain of sorts. As a curtain it closes off a space that potentially could lie beyond the object. It plays with the potential of there being a perceived space that stretches into infinity. Some of the squares and rectangles are semi-translucent and one gets a sense of depth instead of solid closure.

The Painter, 2021 Oil on canvas 180 x 120 cm (70.8” x 47.2”) $10,500

The backgrounds to the Vessels series with statues or boats in front slowly came to be over time. Growing up in an environment that is rich in design and beautiful in architectural details it was only a question of time before this made its way into my work. The patterns are something of comfort and a reference to my upbringing but also to the risks and misuse that can come with organization and order.

The King (koning), 2020 Oil on canvas 250 x 180 cm (98.4” x 70.8”) $12,500

The Rider, 2021 Oil on canvas 150 x 120 cm (59” x 47.2”) $10,000

History has shaped everything and lies at the basis of every society and culture. It mixes with and influences everyday decisions. It is both highly personal and extremely broad as it casts a shadow over everything. It can function as a blueprint, showing how problematic human behaviour is. Where the root cause for so much violence and injustice lies. Nothing happens without reasons and cause and effect. Having an understanding of the past and its complicated structures can be a guide to not repeat the same extreme behaviour and might make for better decision making, more respect for others and our contemporary times and install a sense of responsibility.

Johnie, 2020 Oil on canvas 180 x 120 cm (70.8” x 47.2”) $10,500

Jeroen Witvliet was born in Capelle aan den Ijssel, the Netherlands in 1972. He received an MFA from the University of Victoria, Victoria, BC in 2014 and a BFA from the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, Netherlands in 1996. He won the Erasmus Exchange Program Award in 1996 and moved to Canada to study film at Emily Carr University in Vancouver. In 2015 Witvliet had a solo exhibition “Wayfayer” at the Kelowna Art Gallery, Kelowna British Columbia, and was part of “Memory Landscape” at the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, Alberta in 2018 and “(Dis)Connect” at Two Rivers Gallery in Prince George, British Columbia in 2019. He has had solo and group exhibitions in Canada, the United States and Europe.

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