Renie Spoelstra
With her large-scale works in dense, deep blacks and multiple gradations of grey, Renie Spoelstra immerses the spectator in landscapes that convey her feelings. Mountains, forests, clouds, lakes and rocks become the main characters of an intimate, timeless narrative.
While she never gives any precise indication about the places she visits, Spoelstra begins her journeys with long walks and moments of observation, recording images all the while in photos or videos. From Dutch landscapes to those of North America, Canada or Peru, she lets her own emotions roam free when facing what meets her gaze. Once back in her studio, she takes still screenshots and sets to work exclusively in charcoal on often very large formats. In the course of this silent, solitary work, she rediscovers the sensations she experienced when out in the elements, the moments of joy and resilience. These journeys result in multiple sheets whose rhythm springs from dispersing mist, waterfalls, bent trees or calm lakes. She says that reflections in the water enable her to connect with her subconscious. In this spiritual approach to landscape, she likes the link that can be woven with her compatriot Piet Mondrian, one of her preferred artists, especially for his depiction of trees.
"I love this way of highlighting the space between the branches, which adds to the sensation of actually being present, of being able to observe and soak up nature. The idea is not to draw in a realistic manner, but rather from the interior… to actually feel plants and then to show them in the right way. Thus to reach the very essence of the subject,” she explains.Conceptual and dictated by a specific protocol, while adopting the traditional use of charcoal, Spoelstra combines romanticism and existentialism. She frequently uses the words “from experience” and “choice”, since the work in the studio also includes selecting the right image. “One has to know how to avoid the pitfall of an aesthetic or beauty that is too immediate or too strong. What is grandiose can prove to be a trap, just as an excessive use of detail…” The series produced from a single journey could be seen as being in line with Alfred Hitchcock or David Lynch’s nerve-wracking, somewhat mysterious films, where the complete absence of people sets the spectator in the heart of the scene. “What I seek is to capture an instant and a sensation,” concludes Spoelstra. But also… a powerful feeling of existence, one might add.
(texte de Marie Maertens).
