top of page
IMG_6861.jpg

EXHIBITIONS

I HAVE MORE SOULS THAN ONE

INQUIRE

Bas Coenegracht, who was born in 1974, is a Dutch professional. He extracts a collection of motives from the maritime and urban traditions of his homelands, which are evident in his paintings. In his work, Coenegracht frequently explores these locations, which are frequently situated in the heart of our cities but are beyond our perception. He is primarily intrigued by shopping arcades, collapsed warehouses, muddy harbor facilities, and closed-down train terminals. "I am not so much interested in the nostalgia found in these deserted and run-down areas as I am in the unpredictable forms that abandoned space and ruins take," he claims. "The unpredictable" is a crimson thread that flows throughout the work. In stark contrast to the surrounding architectural exactitude (one might imagine architectural drawings buried beneath the oil paint) and a lively volatility (green paint drips down a façade like mossy water, through which the artist revives the surface with a virtuose duktus), the motive emerges through the use of several layers of paint. Coenegracht, in this manner, is inclined toward the unpredictable and volatile, and it provides a vivacious patina to the vestiges of aging architecture. The continuous changes in the real landscape that inspire his motive are just as unpredictable as his work process, which involves painting different layers and structures, partly revealed by scratches. This causes a certain naturalism to take place, which is not unfamiliar to him. In a time when human beings are turning away from landscape and buildings, these automatically develop further, change color, deform themselves, and collapse. In order to work with the unpredictable, Coenegracht must prioritize the exploration of future possibilities. He has personally experienced these neglected and overlooked large urban areas as a source of inspiration and retreat. He encountered them as a skateboarder and graffiti artist, and he came to regard them as environments that encourage experimentation, where daily life becomes unpredictable. This tradition is maintained by his painting. The painting is deeply concerned with the human environment, despite the absence of explicit depictions of individuals. This omission generates an intriguing opportunity for the observer: the painting provides the opportunity for interpretation and identification, as well as for the formation of associations and progressions.

bottom of page