#6 Patrick Van Vliet feat. XXX


 

The sunset

Jerry, look.
What, Missy, where?
Jerry, could you, I mean…
Missy, I don’t understand you.
I mean, if you only
Tell me, Missy, my dear, I don’t understand you
Jerry, the palm.
Yes, Missy, a palm. I see many.
So, Jerry, look, that one… could you
Tell me, Missy, what?
Could you only… avoid it.
The palm? Missy, my dear…
Yes, the palm.
Ah, now I understand
So, could yo
Ops. I’m sorry, Missy.
Yes, me too Jerry.

Do you think it will be fine?
The palm?
The car, Jerry.
I don’t think so Missy. I don’t know.
Look, you’ve lost the tip of the nose
Oh! Thank you Missy, I couldn’t see it
Could you see if..
What, Missy, where?
Maybe I’ve
What, my dear?
I think I’ve lost something too
I don’t understand…
Ok.

Jerry?
Yes?
you are falling out the window.
Yes Missy, I know. You too.
yes, sure, me first, I guess.
Sure.
Do you think it falls on us?
What my dear, where?
I mean, do you think that, the car, does it fall on us?
Oh, the car.
Yes.
So, it’s probable.
Ok.

XXX-unite

artwork di Patrick Van Vliet, acrylics on wood, 50 x 50 cm, 2015
label XXX

 

* * * * * *

a conversation with Patrick Van Vliet

 

Who is the enemy? Where can the Batgirl find him? Looking at your works from the serie Fly Boy Fly everybody seems to need to be scared. Can you tell me more about it?

It’s funny that you say that. Most of my work is based upon good memories or remarkable experiences, not so much scary thoughts. What I do try to add to my work, is some extra tension. Try to make it a bit eerie and uncomfortable. For me, that’s essential to a good piece. You can look at it and feel there’s more to it than you see, but you have to look twice to tell what’s going on. But I guess Batgirl can do some work still. There’s an enemy for all of us. Someone or something to rebel against. For a lot of people it’s hard to be positive and hold onto good values. It’s easier to be negative and blame everybody and everything else but yourself. I hope I’m not that kind of guy.

The loneliness is not your favorite “colour”. I love your palette and I’d love to know more about it: it’s one of the thing you have never forget to bring with you in the desert? Yes, I want to know your relationship between you and the acrylics.

Colors are truly important, but not essential. I do like black and whites very much. B&W pieces can be as powerful as colored, as well as any other duotone piece. But my palette is definitely highly colored. I try to let the coloring be supportive to the work’s objective. It’s so nice to start with a new piece and set off with the look and feel already in your mind. Loud and bright or intimate and serene… But I started using oils more and more. I like the way oil works better than acrylics. The greasiness of oil has a lot of benefits. And smell.

Tell me more about “Kermis“. I thought it was the name of the man in your painting, then I googled it and this is what I’ve found:

kermis (ˈkɜːmɪs) or kirmess
n

1. (formerly, esp in Holland and Northern Germany) an annual country festival or carnival
2. US and Canadian a similar event, esp one held to collect money for charity
[C16: from Middle Dutch kercmisse, from kerc church + misse Mass; originally a festival held to celebrate the dedication of achurch]

Yes, it’s a annual fest that’s held in almost all Dutch towns. A fair with lots of loud music, food and of course attractions like a ghost house or the bumpy cars. Really popular place for kids to hang and have their first kiss. I named that work ‘Kermis’ because it somehow reminded me of a kermis. The idea of feeling lost in the loud noise and flickering lights. There was no intention to make a ‘fair’ painting, but afterwards it felt like I should name it like that.

In your statement you talk about your country, the Dutch, as a master of zoning: men organized it first, and only in a second time they live with and in it, forget the primitive soul of their landscapes. So, if I got you, do you think is a trait of your country only? And what does Nature means for your work?

It’s one of the things that most visitors notice when they land by airplane: how well organized our landscape is. And it’s not just the landscape, it’s how we roll. I guess it’s a good thing that the Dutch are really well organized, effective in what they do, all things are legally well organized, hardly corruption, et cetera. So for that matter it’s one of the best places to live.
I like nature. I find it difficult to see how big our impact on nature is. And the strange thing is: our national drive to control nature is coming back at us. We’re starting to become the narrow minded, boundary thinking people instead of being agile and open mined. Not a good thing. The way we deal with our surroundings is a very present topic that inspires me.

And what do the animals mean?

Most of the times they don’t have a specific meaning. I like visualizing them and sometimes use them as a fable. I used a goose checker (from a popular game called ‘ganzenbord’) on ‘Play’ because of it’s  sentiment and looks. They’re funny little pieces. And it’s a cool game.

Where is the music in your life? Can you tell me more about the XXX project?

The XXX project started with a friend of mine, Michiel Lancee. He started the XXX label and was looking for artists that could contribute to new releases and design the album cover. I’m always into cross pollination projects and this one sounded awesome. Music has always been around in my life and fed me with new ideas and energy. I must say that Jack Pattern was a stranger to me, but I’m glad to have found out about him. The disco / eighties sound reminded me of my times behind the Commodore 64 computer, playing Outrun.

Just let me be a bit foreseeble: do you believe in Edward Hopper, right? But you are more passionate than him… don’t you?

Oh yes, big Hopper fan. I couldn’t say that I’m a more passionate person then he was, would love to have met him though and found out! I guess it’s up to others to decide whether that’s true or not. I know I’m quite passionate about what I do, especially when I’m in a nice working flow. Hopefully people notice the effort I put work. And I feel humbled by the fact you figured out my Hopper likings through my work.

Thank you Patrick, it was a pleasure.