BERLIN.- Robert Vellekoop’s paintings take time. They grow slowly, layer by layer, color doubles and forms structures in the surface, here and there color is sanded off again and reapplied. Until the optimum color space with maximum depth is achieved. This is how Vellekoop creates his often-atmospheric cityscapes, seascapes and still lifes or covers the surface of his light sculptures.
In Vellekoop’s exhibition “My very first thought”, the artist makes the actual preparatory work/pictorial sketches the main protagonists. He may have been inspired by the necessity of the fleeting, rapid treatment of the watercolors in his sketches. Nothing can be corrected here; everything must be decided and executed immediately. This fleeting painting process produced both successful and unsuccessful results.
In a further step, he uses these very different results as material for his collages. This offers the flexibility of being able to move the cut-out parts of the picture at will or to exchange entire picture elements and thus to test not only the composition but also the coloring and spatial structure and the placement of details in a variety of ways. In these works, the intuitive, quick, and uncorrectable on the one hand and the selective, deliberate and doubtful on the other merge into a pictorial structure. They are mostly compositions of abstracted interiors, whose windows offer a view of distant surroundings. Sometimes there are hints of still lifes, but the pictorial elements always maintain a free, abstract balance. Robert Vellekoop thus remains true to himself in his subjects, which are always rooted in the sphere of the everyday.
Robert Vellekoop (*1984 Osnabrück) lives and works in Hamburg. He studied at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Hamburg with Anselm Reyle, from where he graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in 2016.
A CLOSER LOOK
Katherine Bradford, Anne Buckwalter, Madeline Donahue, Maximilian Kirmse, Aubrey Levinthal, Laila Tara H, Fabian Treiber, Sophie Treppendahl, Evian Wenyi Zhang
Of course it is always worth taking a close look at art. But some works demand it more than others. As the title suggests, the exhibition focuses on works that require a keen eye, with ‘hidden’ details that only reveal themselves to the viewer who comes closer, lingers longer, or looks from a new perspective. These details may be obscured by miniaturization, fragmentations, distortions or other alienations. They might be revealed by reflections in mirrors, by narratives unfolding in the background of the ‘main action’, or simply by small objects scattered on tables, desks or beds – each holding a key to new interpretations.
Why do artists sometimes include these subtle or less visible motifs in their work, drawing the viewer closer as if to whisper something in their ear? Is it an exercise in scale and proportion, a game of hide-and-seek, or a demonstration of artistic skill reminiscent of the tradition of the miniaturists? Is it a hidden reward for only the most attentive viewer? In today’s digital age, where speed and surface dominate our interactions, such nuances invite us to slow down, to question our perception, and to reflect on how we engage with images in a world of fleeting attention.
The exhibition aims to explore these and other questions through the multifaceted works of Katherine Bradford, Anne Buckwalter, Madeline Donahue, Aubrey Levinthal, Laila Tara H, Sophie Treppendahl, Maximilian Kirmse, Fabian Treiber, and Evian Wenyi Zhang. Although these artists use different approaches, styles and techniques, they each find ways to embed subtle or unexpected details in their works, which take time and patience to emerge.
