theme and vision

Flying/Fleeing - since 1996

The subject fleeing was my theme for my final project at the Saint-Luc Institute during my last year in the direction Free Plastic Arts in Ghent.
Flying reminded me of birds. I stumbled at pictures of swarms of flying birds and decided to see this subject in a philosophical light. Birds fly away, flee away, I want to flee away too.
During painting, I also tried to flee away from the reality of the image towards the abstraction of the image. A shift of accent.
The spaces between the bodies of the flying birds were to become my most important spaces. On copies of pictures that were endlessly enlarged, worked on, copied, worked on and again enlarged, the bodies of the birds were initially covered with a thick layer of white acrylic paint.
Years later, I have repeated this theme, but the spaces of the bodies that were left blank initially, gained importance.

Fleeing (running) - since 2003

My attention for movement and the processes behind these movements where the cause for a series of works that I have made since the end of 2003. It might have been my growing intrest for kubism and futurism that made me make this series.
Although I often get a comment about "the four ladies" concerning the paintings Walking Woman, to me it is just one lady moving, and not four or five separate ladies.
The series with the titels "Walking Lady" and "Dancing Matrones" belong to this group.

Fleeing/Waiting - since 2005

From a linguistic point of view, you can call this verbs two extremes, but, in daily life they are often found together.
Think of the survivors of a disaster that run away to a refugee-camp, to wait there on a possible return to their homes, towards a beter situation? Not always.

In my life you can distinct two large blocs: fleeing and waiting.
During the day, at work, I wait to be able to go home, to flee to my studio to paint, to flee away from the daily reality. When I finally get to my studio, I wait, for the muse to come to me with great ideas.
It might be my cynicism influencing me.
You can also say that according to the bible, our life on earth is a waiting period to go to heaven after having lead a good life?

The biggest difference with the previous theme "Fleeing", is that the theme "Fleeing/Waiting" shows us the place we are trapped in. A labyrinth, a surrealistic house of stairs, a ground-plan or map, a game...
Underneath thin layers of paint you might detect more stairs, ladders, doors, constructions,...

With this theme I want to involve the viewer, let him enter into the canvas, let him search his own path, like an endless game that captivates you.