Monochroom

Monochrome, the richness of limitation. Monochrome literally means one color. An artist is a translator. The whole world, including one's own inner world, can be a source and all resources are available for translation. The artist's choices create individuality. The strength lies in the limitation. We see in this exhibition how limiting color can stimulate our imagination, with works that are monochrome or almost monochrome.

Ron Glasbeek: Fascination for the 'Gypsy culture' and romantic Balkan sounds

 

Ron (1952) graduated from the Minerva Academy in Groningen in 1976. He's a visual artist and musician and usually works thematically and in series. For example, in 2013 he made grisailles and work in color under the title Berookte Beelden, with the theme of the past and present of Roma and Sinti 'gypsies' in Europe. He exhibited this work in Herinneringscentrum Kamp Westerbork during the gypsy commemoration, at the European Commission in Brussels and in the Museum for Roma culture in Brno/Czech Republic in 2015. He also made in the Roma district of Brno as 'artist in residence' portraits of local musicians and a mural for which young and old served as models. He did the same in Zambia in 2016 in the work community Katete on behalf of the local hospital. During the past silent and stationary COVID period, Ron dug around, looking for subjects, went through his archive and found sketches and photos of the 'models' and elaborated these with charcoal. After this, in 2022/2023, Ron organized a traveling exhibition about 7 Mothers and 7 Daughters, with 14 life-size charcoal drawings. This included the book Mothers and Daughters. In 2022/2023, Ron had retrospective exhibitions entitled 'Ron 70' in the Lawei (Drachten) and in the Synagogue (Groningen). In Forma Aktua Ron shows work from the past ten years. Most of the work is in shades of gray, some contain a little colour.

 

Karel Buskes (1962): Every awareness begins with attention

 

I would like to divide the monochromes that I show in this exhibition into three categories.

• First of all there are the studies. Based on direct observation, they were made on site with material that lends itself well to this; pencil, charcoal or bistre, a pigment extracted from the bark of walnuts. 
• The larger charcoal drawings are not from direct observation, but composed in the studio. In the human figures I want to literally sit close to the human being, whereby the human skin is translated into the skin of the drawing. 
• Finally, there are landscapes that are composed monochrome or with minimal color. The forests that are the subject of these paintings are the places in nature that nourish me in all their simplicity. They represent a source that feels constant and untouchable, but unfortunately its naturalness is in danger. I'm worried about that. By painting whisperingly, I hope to attract attention. Because every awareness starts with attention. 

Karel studied at the Minerva Academy in Groningen. He teaches Art academy ArtEz. Since 1996 he has given dozens of exhibitions at home and abroad and has won several prizes for his work. Drawing and painting has been part of him for as long as he can remember.

 

Maja van Berkestijn: She sculpts her art like a true virtuoso

 

She uses her own unique style to let her images speak. Human expressions, movements and behavior are usually the reason for creating an sculpture. Like a true virtuoso, with apparent ease, she sculpts her material with rough expressive lines and surfaces. Maja is not a sculptor of details, but loves expressive gestures. Her sculptures therefore have a strongly sketchy character. Her models are an accurate impression of a specific moment, saying all there is to say. Human figures that touch and move you because they know how to reveal their character and endearing animal figures. The bronze characters feel natural, good and familiar, as if they have always been there. Maja was educated at the Klassieke Academie in Groningen. She lives and works in Groningen. Some galleries where she has exhibited in recent years: Galerie Pictura (Groningen), De Haagse Kunstkring, de Buitenplaats (Eelde), the UMCG, Galerie Paterswolde and Forma Aktua (Groningen). Maja was a member of the exhibition committee from 2014 to 2016 and then chairman of Forma Aktua until 2018.

Exhibition info:
∙ Period From 17-01-2024 to 18-02-2024
∙ So. 21-01-2024 at 4:00 PM: Opening exhibition
∙ So. 04-02-2024 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM: Meet the exhibitors
∙ Opening hours Wed to Sun. from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
∙ Entrance free