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Interview with Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

In December 2019, I was interviewed by the Contemporary Art Curator Magazine. You can read the artist interview here in English and Dutch translation.


Urban artwork by db Waterman showing a boy drawing harts on the wall.

English:


1. Could you please introduce yourself and tell us how you started in the arts? and your first experience in art-making?


I never started with art. It was always there. I breathe and live art. I guess I am dominated by the right hemisphere of my brain. I think mostly in images, so art is a natural extension of what I am anyway.


I am grateful for the teachers who taught me the crafts of drawing and watercolour painting and the secrets of oil- and acrylic painting. The conceptual art teachers and the likes at the Academy, however, drove me completely crazy. I started to think, maybe this is not for me. Now I know better.


2. How would you describe yourself and your artwork?


Thorough. Precise and thorough. I need time to layer and adapt. Layers and details are important to me.


3. Where do you get your inspiration from?


From anything that touches me. It can be something coming from my memories. It can be something I see or hear in the everyday world. I don’t care where it comes from and I don’t think about it. I just am very happy and very grateful that it is there always. Enough for several lifetimes. An artist bloc seems an absolute horror to me.


4. What emotions do you hope the viewers experience when looking at your art?


Any emotion that is important to them. The same image can evoke totally different emotions and that is just fine. I know I am not looking for ‘nice’. If you want ‘nice’, go elsewhere!


5. When do you know that an artwork is finished?


When the next one is starting to pop up in my head. Time to finish, time to start again.


6. What has been the most exciting moment in your art career so far?


Realizing that I went from ‘Am I good enough?’ to ‘I can do this!’


7. How long does it take to produce one work?


According to my agents, too long.

I first create the work on paper, any work. I am much better at creating on paper than directly on canvas. This will take me 2 to 4 days. Once finished to my own satisfaction, I recreate it on canvas, which may take a week or some longer.


8. What exciting projects are you working on right now? Can you share some of the future plans for your artwork?


I don’t do projects. That is not working for me. If a client wants to order more paintings at once, he has to give me the sizes he is thinking of. I shall send him images of the works on paper I have finished and he can choose whether he wants it on canvas or not. Works well for me and works well for my clients.


9. Do you have any upcoming events or exhibitions we should know about?


Not at the moment. But here you encounter my agents’ complaints. I haven’t got enough work available. I can have exhibitions in New York and Seoul among other places, but I haven’t got enough paintings. I am not complaining, though, I like to sell. I did not enjoy being a poor artist at all. Nothing romantic about that at all.


10. Where do you see your art going in five years?


It will go, where it chooses to go, taking me along its adventurous ride.

I never worked from a limiting preset concept and I am surely not going to start with that now. I expect to sell just as many paintings, only for a lot more money ;).


Dutch:


1. Kun je jezelf even voorstellen en ons vertellen hoe je in de kunst bent begonnen? En je eerste ervaring in het maken van kunst?


Ik ben nooit met kunst begonnen. Hij was er altijd. Ik adem en leef kunst. Ik denk dat ik gedomineerd word door de rechter hersenhelft. Ik denk vooral in beelden, dus kunst is in ieder geval een natuurlijke uitbreiding van wat ik ben.

Ik ben dankbaar voor de leraren die me de kunstnijverheid van tekenen en aquarelleren hebben geleerd en de geheimen van olie- en acrylverf. De conceptuele kunstdocenten en dergelijke op de Academie maakten me echter helemaal gek. Ik begon te denken, misschien is dit niets voor mij. Nu weet ik better.


2. Hoe zou je jezelf en je kunstwerk beschrijven?


Grondig. Nauwkeurig en grondig. Ik heb tijd nodig om verschillende lagen te maken om extra diepgang te krijgen. Lagen en details zijn belangrijk voor mij.


3. Waar haal je je inspiratie vandaan?


Van alles wat me raakt. Kan iets zijn dat uit mijn herinneringen komt. Kan iets zijn wat ik zie of hoor in de dagelijkse wereld. Het maakt me niet uit waar het vandaan komt en ik denk er niet aan. Ik ben gewoon heel blij en heel dankbaar dat het er altijd is. Genoeg voor meerdere levens. Een kunstenaarsblok lijkt me een absolute gruwel.


4. Welke emoties hoop je dat de kijkers ervaren wanneer ze naar je kunst kijken?


Elke emotie die voor hen belangrijk is. Hetzelfde beeld kan totaal verschillende emoties oproepen en dat is prima. Ik weet dat ik niet op zoek ben naar ‘leuk’. Als je ‘leuk’ wilt, ga dan ergens anders naartoe!