Jeroen Witvliet

Throughout my practice I have been intrigued by the contrast that exists between the personal and the societal. Forms of the intangible and the stark coldness of reality stripped bare of any sentimentality. I am intrigued by how the outlook and sensibility of an individual can clash with the accepted interpretation, use and understanding of a dominant and at times oppressive shared reality. In my work I want to explore what happens when a...

Throughout my practice I have been intrigued by the contrast that exists between the personal and the societal. Forms of the intangible and the stark coldness of reality stripped bare of any sentimentality. I am intrigued by how the outlook and sensibility of an individual can clash with the accepted interpretation, use and understanding of a dominant and at times oppressive shared reality. In my work I want to explore what happens when a schism is exposed between a person and the commonality of society. Sensations that creates a certain uncomfortable relation to reality can be recognized almost anywhere, there exists a slight shimmer that lays behind everything. I am interested in where the harshness of a dominant force ( whatever system it is ) clashes with the fluctuating and open ended experiences, interpretations and creativity of an individual.

Working on different series with a different concept at their basis means that I switch between styles but always attempt to capture a strong sense of the poetic, history and a clash between the separate elements that make up a painting. There is a certain unease and at the same time delicate balance that informs my work. I am not interested in making easy paintings or drawings, the challenge is to balance on a knife's edge were at anytime the image can fall apart.