I begin the painting process by looking at fashion photography. I find photographs of catwalk models at the beginning of their careers especially fascinating. People-watching in general together with looking at fashion photography in particular are not only part of my job – those are part and parcel of my doing research -, but also give me great pleasure. For my painting subjects, I tend to select the younger ‘skinny’ models who, in some cases, seem to have a combination of both masculine and feminine characteristics. I prefer models who communicate not just via their faces but through their complete posture, emulating vulnerability and power at the same time. This rather contradictory or ambiguous attitude has a profound effect on me as an individual but, of course, is partly produced by me as “the viewer”. It is this dual attitude that I try to communicate to the viewers of my paintings, which have as their starting point: catwalk models. Because the attitude is expressed through posture, I paint these young people frontally and in total. The only exception is the feet, which are, in most cases, either invisible or just partially visible in the painting. This technique has the effect of the young subject appearing to be stepping out of the painting and approaching the viewer. The viewer is thus invited to encounter the attitude expressed. By placing my young subjects in empty space, the attitude is depicted graphically, nearly always using only the colours red and blue. This ‘’minimalistic’’ way of painting is a further attempt to actively engage the viewers and their imagination. I am particularly interested in, amongst others, the fashion photography of Juergen Teller, Steven Meisel and Paolo Roversi. I am interested in fashion designers Raf Simons, Magaret Howell, Hedi Slimane and Sander Lak amongst others.
All paintings : oil on linen, 120 x 145 cm