Christel Vandegehuchte

“Art is kind of an addiction. The more I know, the more I see and the more it captures me.”

Christel Vandegehuchte, Artist

What is your personal connection to art?

As the daughter of a Belgian paint dealer, I grew up with color more than with art. An art education was not obvious. During my Economics study I did attend an art course in the evening. Perhaps it was then when it all started. During an internship in Paris I was very intrigued by Picasso. I read all about him, visited the places where he had worked and blended into the art world of MontMartre. Back in Belgium, art vanished to the background.

I moved to Amsterdam and focused on my marketing career and started a family. At the age of 40 we moved to Warsaw. From a busy life as working mom, I suddenly had a lot of time on my hands. To pass time, I took drawing lessons with a Polish artist. As it turned out, this was a life changing moment: my love for art was put in a new light. I took even more lessons and when we moved to Sweden a few years later, I followed art lessons from a Hungarian artist and became a member of a Swedish artist association.

Back in the Netherlands I wanted to further professionalize and was admitted to the Wackers Academy, the academy for figurative art in Amsterdam. Now, 5 years later, I am under mentorship of Sam Drukker and I graduated from the Wackers. My need to get to know everything about art is unstoppable, which is why I now started a Bachelor's degree in Art History at the UvA (University of Amsterdam). I wanted to add more theoretical knowledge to the more practical side of art. I now look at art differently and can also see my own work in a better context. Art is kind of an addiction. The more I know, the more I see and the more it captures me.

Do you think it important to show art in a corporate environment, and why (not)?

Absolutely, because art makes you think, it puts things in perspective, it enriches and connects. The presence of art stimulates communication. It often triggers great reactions from visitors and talking about art can lead to get to know your colleagues better. Art can also have a calming effect and makes you happy. Art generates a more positive working environment. With a company collection you can present art to a wider audience. One does not have to go to the museum to experience art, because art comes to you and becomes an underlying part of daily life. And who knows, it might inspire you to visit museums or galleries on your own initiative. In addition, the company gives employees something nice to look at and takes on social responsibility by giving young artists support they need to be seen within the art world. As a company you can play a pioneering role in this.

What are your most precious art-related memories of recent years?

Well that's not difficult! The presentation of my graduation project last June "Portrait of Us Vondelpark”, a visualization of the integration and communication between people in the Vondelpark in Amsterdam. The search for the abstracting of form, color and rhythm within the limits of figuration was a challenge and sometimes a fight with myself, but I managed to generate deeper meaning from painting it from perception.

Another precious memory is my introduction to Italian futurism and the work of Gino Severini. And then specifically his work "La Danza Del Pan-Pan Al Monaco". My highlight during a master class by Richard Cork at the Courtauld Institute in London. Until that time I never had heard from him. I myself was not a fan of cubism and had little attention for work that was in that line. But through him I saw cubism in a different light and became attracted by the dynamism of futuristic works. In particular the works of Gino Severini, and specifically those he created in Paris. It’s fascinating how he managed to create speed and movement of the dancers in this cubistic artwork.

What would you like to bring about in the art world?

For me, creating art is a form of meditation, completely zen. When I paint or draw I forget everything around me, and then I am completely in the now. I am still grateful that I had the opportunity to experience this. In my believe everyone can learn to paint and draw. Of course, not everyone becomes an artist, but everyone can learn to look and learn the skills to put your imagination on paper. So if you ask what I would like to bring about in the art world? Then I would preferably get as many people as possible to paint. I want them to have the experience what painting or drawing can do for you; how nice it is to be completely in the present with pen and paper.

In addition, I have experienced how difficult it is for beginners, but also experienced artists to talk about their own work. It is something you do not really learn at academies in the Netherlands. During my study Art History last year, I learned the tools to become visualize a work of art; I suddenly could verbally explain and talk about my own work and that of others.

It would be great if I could set up a programme where I could share my knowledge together with others, to other artists. A type of workshop or master class so that those who do not have a supporting gallery or network would be able to present their work verbally.

How do you look at art?

How I look? Two elements are decisive for me: color and drawing. I respond very impulsively to color; when the color composition appeals to me, I immediately step closer to the artwork and then take the time to analyze it, to see if it is correct in composition .Only color is quickly boring. It must have more depth. Am I drawn into the painting and where will my eye be guided to intuitively?I often try to think about why an artist has made the choice to place or leave that shape, that surface, that color or that line. Very often, compositions arise unknowingly, but the artist can determine whether he lets it exist, stops or repaints. I find that so intriguing. A good artist knows when to stop.

In addition, I am attracted by the drawing. When I see a powerful, intuitive line, then I stand still and want to see what it does to me; if it triggers an emotion. Whether I am intrigued to look longer and closer.

Ina van Zyl | Aletta
2003 | watercolor on paper
40 x 50 CM

"The central figure in this painting is Aletta. Sitting cross-legged in the chair, she looks up at someone outside the image. What fascinates me in this work is that Ina van Zijl uses the spontaneous, uncontrollable character of the medium of watercolor to to visualize this teenager in a seemingly nonchalant way - it seems like a spontaneous sketch of an unguarded moment. Yet when you look at this artwork for longer, you see that the composition is well thought out. All the lines in the work point towards the direction of Aletta: The position of the right foot, the emphatic fold in the pants, the protruding knee and the sharp contours of the red sweater guide our gaze to her face and her right arm positioned on the seat reinforces the viewing direction.

The red sweater against the green background and the white neck contrast with the expressive color of the evocative facial expression which can be associated with the teen's recalcitration. The looseness of the medium finally symbolizes perhaps the volatility of the anger that typifies an adolescent. Quite inspiring to see how Ina van zijl uses the physical properties of the medium to fuse the compositional elements and the loose painting touch into a portrait in which the viewer perceives and feels the emotion, but also puts it into perspective."

Erik Mattijssen | Zomerkraam
2014 | pencil, pastel, gouache on paper
135 x 95 CM

"In this drawing, Erik Mattijssen takes you to a market stall, on the boulevard or perhaps on the beach—its exact location seemingly unknown. Only the fans suggest it is warm, and therefore summer. We see dozens of sandals and beach towels in sizzling colors - have they been left behind, lost and found on the beach ,or new and for sale? As a viewer you are overwhelmed by a cacophony of bright, saturated colors that all scream for attention, seemingly disorderly and without purpose. That is exactly what fascinates me in this work, because it is only the first impression that overwhelms: you keep looking while not knowing where to look first.

That feeling is reinforced by the use of the medium - pastel and gouache - which evokes a childlike association. When you study this work better, you see that the patches of color and patterns have been consciously selected and positioned. The azure blue slipper with white cross in the middle pulls you towards the market stall. The same color combination comes back on the second row, and sends your eye via the light pink ballerina to the tiger on the middle bath towel. By choosing complementary colors next to each other, the placement of shoes or the direction of patterns, he guides the eye through the market stall. This creates calm and balance in the vivid play of colors, which keeps the viewer looking and makes a seemingly unimportant subject special."

Koen Vermeule | Seascape Orange
2003 | oil paint on linen
150 x 75 CM

"In this work, we look from an unusual angle to an empty beach with a receding sea that disappears into a deep horizon. The dark shadows and the unsaturated, gray colors suggest that this is a Dutch maritime landscape at sunset. What appeals to me in this work he consciously opts for a distinctive angle, which gives the maritime landscape a much more dynamic perspective.With the perspective of the sea viewed from the side, the vanishing point ends up outside the work. As a result, the viewer walks into the deserted landscape, and the view overwhelms you as it were.

The grayish earthy colors and dark shadows in stark contrast to the cold ice blue of the sea and the transparent sky also give you an indefinable feeling, as if time stands still for a moment and what you see may not be the truth. Do you experience this as oppressive or liberating? I think the answer is different for everyone and perhaps differs per moment. I just know for sure this work won't let you go. It is intriguing how Koen Vermeule can display a fascinating landscape in a seemingly simple way with a few perspective lines, sharp light/dark contrast, variation in brush strokes and complementary areas of color."

Pere Llobera | Copy of an innocent photo that for me means politics
2013 | oil paint on linen
46 x 33 CM

"In this monochrome painting we see three adults on an old-fashioned bicycle mill. It is unclear whether they are men or women, whether they are young or old, whether they have a light or dark skin color .... They cycle around in circles one after each other, but will never reach each other. As the title suggests, this work is based on a photo that Pere Llobera has encountered somewhere. The special feature of this work is that by choosing a monochrome pallet with strong light/dark contrast in combination with its coarse, quick touch, it creates a blurry, intriguing image on the basis of which the viewer can compose his own story.

For him this work is a symbol of politics. Or perhaps his lack of confidence in politics? In this I read the inability of people to come closer to each other, to converse without communicating, to pursue boundlessly more."

Chantal Joffe | Zonder titel
2000 | oil paint on panel
22 x 29 CM

"In this painting, we see a close up from above from a red-haired boy with a Batman mask and cape. He is standing in front of a green curtain or a green wall. The red diagonal line leads the viewer to the boy's masked face. The black mask contrasts with red hair, an effect that is further enhanced by the brilliantly created green background color.The glowing green-yellowish surface reinforces the dirty blue color of the sweater, ensures balance in the composition and directs the eyes towards the boy.

I saw this work for the first time in the Akzonobel Art Foundation calendar of 2011 “Children our shared future!” It was my first, perhaps only Akzonobel Art Foundation calendar, and I got it during a visit to the head office while we were still living in Warsaw, I hung the calendar with this image on the front of my studio, and that's how it got stuck in my mind. Art was still a hobby, and I had never heard of Chantal Joffe at the time.Ten years later her dirty, warm colors, the different shape and angle of approach and the direct, naive way of painting and her infinite amount of pastel drawings are an important source of inspiration for my own work."

Berend Strik | The Acceptance
2005 | mixed media
90 x 59.5 CM

"In this work I see a woman on the edge of the road, on a bridge along a river bed with a village or town in the distance. Next to her is a rug or plastic with things to sell on it. It is not clear what she is trying to sell, but I think that is not important. She leans her right arm against the railing, peels an orange and peers into the distance. Her attitude betrays a certain resentment: what is coming? Does she look at someone or wait for someone?

Berend Strik achors and changes the reality of a photographic image with needle and thread and leaves room for his own imagination. another dimension and a deeper expressive power. In this work, he has intertwined her right side with the stuff and the railing, like a web in which he has entangled her. With stitching, I think he emphasizes the hopelessness of her existence, the side of her that is stuck in what has been and has been. But there is hope, when she looks the other way. That side is emphasized by the light on her shoulder. That side is open with the prospect of a different future and acceptance of new opportunities?"

Jim Harris | zonder titel
2007 | oil paint on canvas
43 x 43 CM

"In this work, we look at the roof of a hangar or a station. It is an exciting collection of lines and surfaces in a monochrome pallet, against which the blue sky stands out clearly as a shining hole to which all attention ultimately goes. This work is by Jim Harris, a well-known Plein Air artist and for me a source of inpiration. He really paints what he sees, and is capable of transforming the most banal subject into an exciting painting. Harris has found a corner that gives a subject that little bit extra: in his work he gives everyday life, the tree on a square, the street where you walk, the bench on which you rest or, like the roof of the station, another dimension. And that is exactly what appeals to me and inspires me personally.

In recent years he has taught me and my fellow Wackers students to look. We spent hours in the Vondelpark, on the quay on the IJ, on Staringplein behind the academy and even in the garden. There we drew and painted for hours what we saw. And if we didn't see it anymore, then his answer was invariably, go back and look. And there was always the answer, because the longer you look, the more you see."