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Sculpting Space

Curated by Fons Heijnsbroek

Amsterdam, Netherlands

I live in Amsterdam, in the city on the fourth floor where I paint my abstract art: watercolors / gouaches on paper and large paintings on canvas. I do this since 1989. It is an intuitive way of abstract art I make, without any ideas before-hand; the image has to develop itself during the process of painting. So I like to name my art as intuitive abstract, because that is exactly how it comes to life in this visual world. Of course I must keep awake my consciousness. I have my task to embrace and recognize the unknown. Later it is my task to decide the picture which came will stay or not. For me destruction is an essential part of creation.

Intuitive art means to me, I have no image when I start to paint, so the images calls themselves visually into life during the process of painting. Of course I must be open for their calling, and I must keep myself aware of everything what comes up and asks for a place in the picture. This is the side of intuitive abstract painting, the coming beyond me; it is the very dynamic processor, operating in the process of painting. On the other hand I myself must be aware and use my individual history, attitudes, emotions and collected experiences; they form the basis on which I have to make my visual decisions again and again. That is my own responsibility in the creative process. I am not an empty mind; I learned and lived year by year. And yet I must keep my mind open to the new visual sounds coming to me as free birds, as representatives of the unknown; it is a living paradox .......

My abstract painting itself exists in intuition and it speaks only in the language of images and visual imagination, mostly beyond myself. This is the area where I transcend and opens myself for new views which come to me. Painting lies in the twilight between the known and the unknown. I am not mastering the painting; on the other hand, I am not just the victim who just can follows the sound of the universe. It lies between! And the point is: there does not exist a fixed point. That is what art is about, I presume.

I am rather aware of my roots in art.... all those artists who gave me inspiration by their art and thoughts.... That's why I started to collect good quotes of the famous artists I appreciate very much; I publish them on on www.quotes-famous-artists.org. I hope you will enjoy them.

Fons Heijnsbroek