For some people art is nothing but a hobby, while others dedicate their whole life to it. However, Peter Wortel (b. 1954, Amsterdam) already knew from very early on that he wanted to become an artist and that nothing could steer him away from his goal. We spoke to him about his background and his art practice in his new studio in Sauwerd.
"I'm from an artistic milieu and from very early on I was in touch with all sorts of different types of artists. My father was a graphic designer and he had enjoyed his education at the graphic school in Amsterdam, he was in possession of a whole range of techniques. At the age of sixteen I went to the municipality to sign up for the Contraprestatieregeling (which would eventually become the BKR). However, it turned out I had to be at least eighteen years old and had to have an art education for me to be eligible to apply. Because I couldn't become an artist at the age of sixteen I studied at the LTS where I was taught to be a specialised carpenter. From there on I went to study to become a joiner. After that education I started working as a joiner, while doing a pre-course at the Rietveld Academy in the evenings. After two years I stopped my arts education because it turned out I had very different ideas about art and design than my teachers at the Rietveld. It wasn't until six years after that I signed up for Academy Minerva, simply because I wanted that official piece of paper that stated I was an artist. After my graduation I was only part of the Contraprestatieregeling for half a year, after which it ceased to exist. That didn't matter to me so much, what mattered most to me was that I had managed to reach this milestone.
An important theme in my work and life is Judaism. My grandfather was Jewish and all the sorrow of my mother after the War has had a big impact on my life.
Apart from making visual art I also do a lot of writing, and all of it I do thematically. I dive deep into each theme that comes up in my practice, one of which revolved around tunnels. I was fascinated by them after I had been to London as a tourist and I had taken some photos of the London Underground. These pictures were exhibited at the Pictura in Groningen and eventually were the source of inspiration for later work. In this work I played around a lot with things like perspective and architecture. I worked on this theme for many years and eventually it led to a big exhibition at the London Transport Museum. Another important theme that is woven into the fabric of my work is Judaism and the important role it has in my life. My grandfather was Jewish and all the sorrow of my mother after the War has had a big impact on my life.
At the moment there are thirty works exhibited at the Synagogue in Groningen, which are all impressions of my travels to Israel. These impressions are a combination of word and imagery; poems accompanied by woodcuts. I also write Jewish stories and am currently working on a bundle of Jewish stories in fact and fiction. This work has a dual function; on the one side it just has to come out, and on the other side you are confronted during the writings process with all the contradictions within antisemitism, which is a very confronting affair. Actually, I wanted to phase out making visual art within my practice but that turned out to be impossible. For me, art is always an interplay of different subjects and working methods. There are many facets to life and it doesn't always let itself be captured by just one medium."
The exhibition 'Impressions of Israel by Peter Wortel' can be seen in Synagogue Groningen until 9 October. You can find more work by Peter Wortel in our Art Rental Collection, and on his own website.