werken

‘ crime passionnel 2’
oil on canvas (2015)
120 x 170 cm

'Helping Sisyphus' 80 x 150 cm oil on canvas

‘Helping Sisyphus’ 2017
80 x 150 cm
oil on canvas

‘World Wit Colour Chart’ 2017
115 x 200 cm.
oil on canvas

‘Wallpaper landscape’ 2017
80 x 80 cm.
mixed media

‘Goodmorning’ 2017
22 x 22 cm.
oil, pencil and ink

‘Goodnight’ 2017
22 x 23 cm.
oil, pencil and ink

‘ Rose of Jericho ‘ 2015 10 x 10 x 31 cm. mussel shels and micro wax

L.E.D. (let every one dream)
mixed media with leds (2014)
20 x 27 cm

L.E.D. (let every one dream)
mixed media with leds (2014)
20 x 33 cm

L.E.D. (let every one dream)
mixed media with leds (2014)
20 x 28 cm

L.E.D. (let every one dream)
mixed media with leds (2014)
20 x 29 cm

L.E.D. (let every one dream)
mixed media with leds (2014)
20 x 32 cm

L.E.D. (let every one dream)
mixed media with leds (2014)
38 x 39 cm

L.E.D. (let every one dream)
mixed media with leds (2014)
20 x 31 cm

L.E.D. (let every one dream)
mixed media with leds (2014)
20 x 27 cm

L.E.D. (let every one dream)
mixed media with leds (2014)
20 x 29 cm

‘ Cardiac arrest ‘
mixed media (2012)
18 x 27 cm

‘Boardwalk’
olie op hout (2012)
237 x 60 cm

‘Lost ‘
oil on linnen (2012)
104 x 204 cm

‘ father and son ‘
oil on canvas (2015)
100 x 200 cm

‘Muze’
mixed media (2012)
20 x40 cm

‘excitatio’
mixed media ( 2012 )
170 x 120 cm

'at a last supper even rooms with seaview can be depressing oil on canvas (2012) 245 x 140 cm

‘at a last supper even rooms with seaview can be depressing
oil on canvas (2013)
245 x 140 cm

‘old biker’
mixed media (2012)
39 x 40 cm

‘Shy bird’
mixed media (2012)
37 x 28 cm

‘Sundown’
mixed media (2012)
19,5 x 26 cm

‘Birdy’
mixed media (2006)
180 x 40 x 30 cm

‘conantur respice’
mixed media (2012)
51 x 41 cm

‘zonder titel’
mixed media (2012)
60 x 26 cm

‘painters ladscape’
mixed media (2010)
19 x 23 cm

‘Dirk en zijn hond’
mixed media (2012)
50 x 28 cm

‘Sampan’
mixed media (2012)
50 x 28 cm

‘The pope’s limit is the skyline’
mixed media (2012)
120 x 170 cm

‘Featherbrained moon’
mixed media (2012)
115 x 200 cm

‘Saw the beach’
mixed media (2013)
19,5 x 20 cm

‘One storey up’
mixed media (2012)
14 x 37 cm

‘Blackbird’s bride’
mixed media (2012)
170 x 120 cm

‘IGT’
mixed media (2013)
49,5 x 15 cm

‘Order of the white moon’
mixed media (2013)
26 x 40 cm

‘Zonder titel’
mixed media (2012)
20 x 30 cm

‘Wintercherry’
mixed media (2012)
25 x 17 cm

‘Painter on the green’
mixed media (2014)
39 x 56 cm

‘little boeddha’s moon’
mixed media (2014)
55 x 91 cm

‘Love potion n°9 ?
ready made (2015)
20 x 40 cm

First station: Jesus is condemned to death. Ever since mankind’s creation God has judged us flawed. Our road is not that of roses, but that of thorns. Our road, quite literally, becomes a via dolorosa. No institute can help us with this, no politics, no economic nor religious system. First it were the Pharisee and Pilatus who sealed his fate. Centuries later corruption ruled a once holy institution, the sales of indulgences its prime example. Mankind, bowing its head in humility, is portrayed by a befriended painter. A Freudian could discover the alter ego of the artist in his portrayal, but we say: that man is the portrayal of any of us, he is everyman. And the finger of God, so strongly and beautifully portrayed by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel, doesn’t grant mankind life in this station. Instead, mankind gets doomed to a life-to-the-death.

Second station: Jesus carries his cross. Jesus’ suffering was not just the road to Golgotha. Much earlier, in Nazareth, he took his responsibility without compromising, against all resistance. He threw out the merchants in the temple, he faced the Pharisee head on and he chose to do the will of his Father rather than answer to the expectations of his parents. Such sacrifices are seldom met with sympathy or applause, however. On the contrary, all sorts of plagues fell upon him, locusts blinded out the light of the sun and vermin crawled out from the shade his cross made upon the sand.

Third station: Jesus falls the first time. Half dazed Jesus (aka the painter, aka everyman) looks around him. He comes to fully realise that the road ahead will still be ten times harder than the road already travelled. He realises that this will not be the last time he falls beneath the weight of the cross, and doubt grabs hold of him. Doubt about his sacrifice, doubt about giving his life for his ideology, doubt… if it will mean anything after he’s gone. And yet he rises, to take the cross upon his shoulders once again. He realises that in this crusade the rest of his life is laid out in front of him and he’s going to have to drink every drop of that chalice. Only then will follow salvation. And exactly like Sisyphus braced himself beneath his boulder, the ground scraping his feet to roll his monstrosity up the hill, knowing fully well that it would irrevocable roll back down, Jesus crawled back up to continue his life’s journey.

Fourth station: Jesus meets his mother. Somewhere in between the roaring crowd Jesus’ mother witnesses her son’s suffering. Jesus averts his eyes, avoiding the confrontation it may lead to, realising that in his journey he is testing his mother’s love beyond measure. Maybe he remembers the moment where they reunited after she desperately went looking for him in the temple and when his only explanation was: ‘I’m doing Father’s will’. Maria is portrayed by the artist as a woman with dark-coloured skin. Women and girls all over the world are to this day still being discriminated, exploited, abused and even maimed. With this in mind we remember John Lennon’s famous words, Woman is the Nigger of the world. And the Church, is this institute so free of diseases such as racism and discrimination? In all its directness this suggestive image brings forth a sharp conviction.

Fifth station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross. Simon of Cyrene happened to be walking by when he was ordered by the Romans to carry Jesus’ cross, Jesus himself being at the end of his strength. And so he does, that ordinary man, with conviction. We don’t see his face, and we don’t have to, he is but a minor character in this tragic crusade. Maybe he isn’t even reluctant to do it. Maybe, in contrast with all the world’s spiritual and political leaders who love nothing but the spotlights, he fulfils his assignment with modesty. Unsolicited Simon of Cyrene becomes Jesus’ companion on his route to the cross, albeit for a short while. These actions cause him to instantly become the symbol of all who would later follow in his footsteps to follow his shining example.

Sixth station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. Without a doubt the touching, heart wrenching anguish of Jesus struck many women present with remorse. But who had enough courage to face the accompanying soldiers and comfort Jesus with words of kindness, maybe even bring him some relief in his time of suffering? There was only one, a young, gentle woman, Veronica. Without even so much as a second thought she removed her headscarf and wipes Jesus’ face clean. A small gesture of compassion, but amidst all the commotion Jesus must have felt overwhelming feelings of emotion. Veronica deserves to almost completely fill the painting. The painter dared giving her a slightly erotic look, which only enhances the intensity of this unforgettable moment. Mere moments before Jesus is nailed to the cross, he still gets to experience the cruel beauty of life: Thanatos and Eros in one image! Der Tod und das Mädchen…

Seventh station: Jesus falls a second time. Jesus trips, a little rock in his path is enough to bring him out of balance, but he claws his way back to his feet as quickly as he can. Irrefutable evidence that he lives his own life motto: love your Creator and love your neighbour as you love yourself. And precisely that’s his weakness, all the love he had and gave led him to this moment, to the cross, the torture device that the Romans had in store for agitators of his kind. Those in power never had a shortage of ways to silence individuals or even great masses of people. Weapons of mass destruction aren’t a new feat. They have been promoted and used by all types of political ideologies, who assured us that is was always for the ‘greater good’. In school we’ve all learned about the nuclear bomb that was dropped from the Enola Gay on Hiroshima in 1945, or the killing fields in Cambodia, the Nazi extermination camps or mass graves as a result of ‘ethnic cleansing’. The last being rather recent, practically around the corner, in a country that used to be called Yugoslavia. This morbid list is regrettably endless, but hey, the ‘greater good’ right?

Eight station: Jesus comforts the crying women. Another close-up, this time of a group of seemingly crying women. They seem to be showing sympathy to the spectacle, but if you take a closer look then it seems like they’re playing a part in the greatest show on earth. The two women on the left are looking jauntily, almost flirtingly at the spectator. Expensive watches and fancy jewellery, as well as their cleanly cut hair make it a picture perfect. The painter exposes the obscene nature of their performance with the word po(pco)rn on the bag and the suggestive logo on one of the shirts: they’re crying… crocodile tears. The lady on the right looks like she’s having an anxiety attack, or simply her way of trying to steal the show. Even so Jesus comforts them, saying they shouldn’t be worried about him, they should worry about his message. A message that is also meant for those that are vain and materialistic, or simply for everyone who is shallow, mainly these women!

Ninth station: Jesus falls a third time. Jesus doesn’t act, he can barely remain conscious for what seems like an eternity. His arms are like weak little wings spread out atop a skull of which the sockets form threatening, black burrows looking out into a vast nothingness. An apocalyptic sight. Already, you can almost smell the stench of death. In the sky we can once again see a device, a drone. The ability of this device to, unmanned and pre-programmed, drop bombs with deadly precision is modern America’s way of saying ‘in god we thrust’. Pay close attention to the intended spelling error, it portrays that the misuse of God’s name to sanctify one’s own atrocious actions, is in itself an atrocious and detestable act. ‘Gott mit uns’ as we all stand divided.

Tenth station: Jesus’ thirst is quenched with bile. A nauseating scene. No living soul in sight, the emptiness is made that much more oppressive. A piece of tablecloth is exhibited upon an altar – or is it a cross? – accompanied by some plates and dishes, as well as two very recognizable bottles of liquor. In front we see a bottle of Liebfraumilch, behind it a bottle of Gueuze Mort Subite(!). A brilliant, and at the same time cynical idea of the painter. Were it not the Geuzen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣøːzə(n)]; English: the Beggars) who fought the regime of the hated Phillips II of Spain and his inquisition? And thus the artist himself becomes a Geus of his time, the embodiment of a subversive, but at the same time powerful resistance against the hypocritical interpretation of the Church on Jesus’ morale throughout the centuries. Even before Jesus is actually on the cross, the idea of peace he had thought out the night before is already stained and beyond all hope.

Eleventh station: Jesus is nailed to the cross. This image shocks without question. Jesus’s fierce look pierces through the audience and then there’s still the middle finger, raised in full contempt. (‘Digitus impudicus’) But what does this obscene gesture mean, or better still, is what we take from it the same as what the artist is trying to tell us? Who is Jesus flipping off? His judges and executioners? That sounds likely, but are those judges and executioners just the Romans or also his so-called followers, who would completely ignore his message in the coming centuries? Or maybe his insulting gesture is aimed at his Father, because in those final moments even Jesus may have wondered if it was all worth it. And finally, a last possibility, maybe the accusative finger of the brother-artist – who is the personification of Jesus in these stations of the cross – is aimed at the painter himself? Could we possibly be seeing a ‘mea culpa’ from the artist and thus by extension an accusation of all of us.

Twelfth station: Jesus dies on the cross. Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, who are you? What have you sacrificed? Unintentionally you have to think about this rock opera when confronted with this next painting. Jesus is as good as dead, his eyes aimed at the heavens, his mouth a gaping hole and his arms wide as a sign of complete surrender. The roaring crowd in the front only brings about more questions, or doesn’t it? Have rock concerts truly become the new churches, with instead of a high mass for Jesus, a high mass for every popstar people adore these days? How sad is it when you realize how many of them died at a young age, at the peak of their success? Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Amy Winehouse. Jesus and the dead popstars, what a perverse comparison. The first mentioned dies because he won’t deviate from his principles, while the members of the second list, the so-called club 27, died due to an abusive relationship with alcohol and/or drugs. And yet, we can believe that eventually even they found peace and eternal rest…

Thirteenth station: Jesus is taken from the cross. Now this painting is filled with historical and cultural references. In literature this is called intertextuality, to refer to and integrate certain examples of famous predecessors into your own work, a typical example of post-modernism. Before we take a closer look, we would like to point out the remarkable way in which the painting is divided: an impressive middle space, and on the left, right and at the bottom three smaller spaces. This is thanks to pieces of tape that were already present on the canvas. The canvases being pieces of cardboard which he had used in his daily job as a painter. Instead of removing the tape or throwing away the cardboard, he decided to integrate it all into his work, thus allowing chance to – albeit controlled – play its part. If thought about, one could even compare this to a very confident statement from Picasso: ‘Moi, je ne cherche pas, je trouve’ Now to take a closer look. In the bottom left-hand side we see a snake crawling from a Bible, which is by no means a coincidence. This Bible also contains ‘k/Kanttekeningen’! (English: marginal notes) Next to it we see a book with the cryptic title History. An accusation of how history is always written by the victor and thus has quite its share of lies? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe it’s a hint to his-story, Jesus’ story, which began with the testimonies of the four evangelists, and two decades later still inspires theologians. Beneath the history book we can see the work of Machiavelli, the famous/notorious philosopher and humanist from the renaissance and right in front of it a key. Maybe this key will grant us access to THE truth? On the right side, as a counterweight to ‘left’ Bible, a pile of books about philosophical topics. From ancient times (Epicurus) to modern times (Bergson): about the culture of enjoying life, about real truths, about evolution. But in reality, is truth something capable of evolving? And last but not least, the Baroque look of Christ, a veil to cover his eyes, but whose right finger – even in death – still points to the history book and the key. ‘I am the way’… To finish, this scene owns it’s inspiration to Caravaggio’s ‘The Entombment of Christ’. And if there’s any painter in the entire history of art who deserves to be a source of inspiration, it’s certainly this Italian master, who at birth received the name… Michelangelo.

Fourteenth station: Jesus is put in his grave. You can’t expect a grave to put a smile to your face, but this presentation is extra dystopian for sure. From the mausoleum where Jesus was placed, the dome of the Saint-Peters basilisk in Rome, his pierced feet stick out so prominently that they almost kick spectators in the face. On the left, his All-star sneakers, mind the Jewish Star of David. On the right, some broken forget-me-nots. From his crown of thorns blood is dripping on the dome, which was completed by Michelangelo. Jesus’ via dolorosa began with a reference to Michelangelo’s creation in the Sistine Chapel, and this is where it ends, the circle is complete. The journey of life and death is over, a confusing, painful and terribly difficult journey, and at the same time a journey with a strange, moving beauty.