been everywhere, seen everything

This project proposal I send last week to China, Georgia and Iran. Hopefully they are as enthusiastic as I am.

General
I work with acrylic paint on canvas and incorporate other materials such as fabric, wallpaper, shells and flowers. Until 2004 I used especially saturated colors to almost blank. The persons on those paintings seem retiring within themselves and unconscience of their surroundings. In 2004 I started to paint more contrasting and more physically, literally and figuratively more openness has come into my painting. The persons on the paintings are more aware of their surroundings and challenge the viewer more.

I am captivated by the tension which I see and feel around me, and realize that nothing is what is seems. A tension with elements of oppression, suffocation, desires and expectation, melancholy, desolation, beauty and hope. My paintings seems to be in the first place superficial, apparent superficiality interests me.

My inspiration comes from alarming (idyllic) scenes on photographs, from newspapers, magazines or photographs I took myself. Many of these images which are inspiring me have their origins in countries outside the Netherlands.

Plans 2006
In May I received a grant(basisstipendium)from The Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture. I am able to work in my studio for the rest of this year to concentrate and intensively paint to deepen my work further. For this year there are three exhibitions planned: a Nanjing (China) group exhibition in June, a Rotterdam (The Netherlands) duo-exhibition in August and in Delft (The Netherlands)in November I have a solo-exhibition.

Plans 2007
In 2007 I want to allow unlimited influence of the outside world in my working process. My plan is to travel and paint for a year and work in a number of artists in residencies (Georgia, Iran, India, China and Russia). During my overland tour to China I will make a picture report, in the form of drawings, photographs and collecting existing images from newspapers and illustrated magazines. These picture reports will serve as inspiration for my work in the artist residencies. Every artist residency I will conclude with an exhibition and I will donate a work to the country where the original inspiration came from.

My picture reports (drawings, photographs and paintings) I will be digitized and emailed or send with a fax to The Netherlands, where they will be part of a project of an artists run initiative. These pictures will be placed in another context and lead roaming existence (a wandering life) in Rotterdam, from spot to spot in the city.

Plans 2008
I eventually want conclude my travel with a picture report in the form of a book or catalogue and an exhibition under the title: been everywhere, seen everything.

rolina