Published 06/09/2020.
Dutch painter Paul Ouwerkerk exhibits his geometric works for a weekend at the Chapelle des arts in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines. A meet-up with the artist.
“Shall we take off the mask?” From the first seconds, Paul Ouwerkerk knows how to put his interlocutor at ease.
Despite the anxiety-provoking health context, the Dutch artist smiles broadly. Surrounded by twenty of his works – all new – at La Chapelle de Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, the visual artist is not stingy with words to describe his creative process.
Not really abstract or figurative, his paintings grab the viewer and hypnotize him, much like the serpent Kaa in The Jungle Book.
“In our time, we tend to go from human to machine. I took the opposite path ”
What exactly do we see? Squares, triangles and diamonds, seemingly endlessly repeated. But on closer inspection, things get more complicated.
“I am working on a series of patterns which are not reproduced in the same way. I introduce small variations that completely change the pattern on arrival. It’s like a mathematical formula materialized in front of your eyes”, he enthuses.
To achieve this result, Paul Ouwerkerk fumbled a lot. He began by designing his work on the computer. A very meticulous process. “I had to paint every pixel and leave nothing to chance”. Then last year he changed his way of doing things, taking up painting.
“In our time, we tend to go from human to machine. I went the other way. ” Just as slow, the process leaves more room for chance and mishaps. “With the computer, it’s very easy to erase an error. But by hand, when you make a mistake, you have to deal with it and move on ”.
” The possibilities are limitless ”
Completely immersed in his concept, Paul Ouwerkerk intends to continue with what he calls “my obsession.” You can do anything with geometric patterns. The possibilities are limitless “.
But why is he so moved by rectangles, circles and lines? He himself does not know. Certainly not from childhood. “I was really bad at math! », He concludes with a laugh.
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Exhibition by Paul Ouwerkerk: The progressive motif. This Sunday, September 6 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Chapelle des arts in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines. Free entry for this exhibition. Access to the gardens and sculptures: € 6 (full price), € 5 reduced). Contact: 01.34.94.39.87.
Remi Bonnet
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©2020 Agence de Chartres
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