Nothing But Good: Lenneke van der Goot / M.C. Escher (and many others)

Saturday, 14 May 2022

Lenneke van der Goot / M.C. Escher (and many others)

M.C. Escher

Kristal

1947

mezzotint

13,8 x 17,1 cm

M.C. Escher

Study for the litho 'Kubische ruimtevulling’

1952

black and red pencil

43,3 x 62,7 cm

M.C. Escher

Study for the litho ’The Waterval’

1961

pencil

clockwise 13,5 x 17 cm, 14 x 14 cm, 26,5 x 18,5 cm, 20,8 x 19,9 cm

M.C. Escher

Study in pencil

1936

I admire many artists. As a child, I browsed through books we had at home and got to know artists whose works are still on my mind, like those of Kandinsky, Picasso and Chagall. As I grew older, I got to know countless other heroes. But the artists I got to know as a child, who made a deep impression on me, shaped how I look and how I work. I was given a book on Monet, for instance. I stared for hours at the water lilies: recognizable images from afar and, up close, no more than splotches of paint. When I went to Paris with my parents, I saw the fountain in front of the Centre Pompidou, by Niki de Saint Phalle and Tinguely. I love the playfulness of this work, but also the contrast between Tinguely's creaking and squeaking constructions and Niki de Saint Phalle's colourful, full-bodied forms. This work is powerful, vulnerable but also humorous.

I also came into contact with the work of Escher at an early age. I still find the complexity and impossibility of his drawings and graphic work extremely fascinating. When I stood in front of a sculpture by Louise Bourgeois for the first time, I was overwhelmed by the energy and impact it had on me. I also find the film 'Der Lauf der Dinge' by Fischli (he is still alive) and Weiss of incredible beauty.

Maybe not always obvious, but I feel related to all these artists. In my own work, I always try to have reality as a reference, but then to distort it into a metaphorical universe that lacks any grip. In my work, I represent non-functional structures. Winding sculptures, floating objects, or wobbly constructions, that are captured in a moment, as if they can change colour or position at any time.

Lenneke van der Goot, 2022