Kees van de Wal
‘After a period of COVID and lockdowns and more or less recovered from a heart attack, I went back to work in my studio after a 10-month break, October 2021. A folder of children’s drawings and paste-ups from kindergarten – from “the forgotten envelope” – at my fingertips.
Whereas my work in recent years often had a geometric starting point and a subdued use of color, the new work is freer, more spontaneous and fresher in color. ‘This makes me happy’ and similar statements I was hearing in my studio when I had visitors. I impose less frameworks on myself, am less strict and follow my feelings more. I let things happen, allow more but also remain critical of my work. The saying of a teacher at the academy – ‘You can think about your work but not when you have a brush in your hand.’ – I take to heart.
In search of the ultimate form,
a form that represents nothing,
but says everything.
The objects I create arise during the work, a bit off here, this line at an angle, the corner just a bit rounder. I combine shapes, remove parts, add elements. Color and structure complete the work. Searching for the right composition, the right tension and balance, for the right character. With the choice of material I give the object a less formal look. The object retains its power and claims its place in the space.
The forgotten envelope
The result of the past working period is a series of about 40 works in which stillness and tranquility – as in earlier work – are important themes. I work with shapes and residual forms and, more than before, the joining together of parts plays an important role. The objects are more spacious, have gained more depth and do not necessarily have to hang on a wall. The use of color is brighter and more powerful. The content of “the forgotten envelope” has influenced my work.’
Solo exhibition of Kees van de Wal at Gallery Van Caelenberg, Aalst (Belgium). On view till june 11, 2022
