Images from underground/File N°017

 
Marcel Herms is an artist from Netherlands that will bring us in his very special world. His amazing works express the alienation, restlessness and uncommon beauty. You'll find more of his works here and follow his page on facebook. Highly recommended

1. where are you from?
I live in Deventer, a city in the eastern part of the Netherlands.


2. do you use any particular tools/materials/methods during the working process?
It depends on what I’m doing. Sometimes I make drawings with only indian ink or pencil. But I also make paintings with mixed media. Then I use everything I can get my hands on: acrylic paint, oil bars, inks, crayons, pencil, charcoal, spray paint, …. Sometimes I mix the paint with sand, sawdust or pieces of paper. I paint on canvas and paper and sometimes other materials like wood.
I work in different sizes: from very small to big and I don’t limit myself to one medium. I draw, I paint, I make 3-dimensional objects and artist books (and audio art).

3. how is your working process?
I try to work instinctively. I try to enter into a sort of unconscious state when I'm working and then paint or draw things without being in complete control. I make use of mistakes and coincidences and I try to surprise myself. When I start a painting I do have an idea about what I want to make but it always turns out different.
I like rough edges. When it get’s to smooth I use techniques to make it rough again. Like drawing with my left hand or mixing stuff through my paint.
When I finish a painting it takes some time before I got used to it and before I can decide if it's good or not. It can even take more time before I completely understand it myself. As William S. Burroughs said: "in painting I see with my hands and I don't know what my hands have done until I look at it afterwards. It's when I look at the completed canvas that I know what the painting is about".
 
4. what do you think about the art market nowadays?
I don’t know. I’m not very good at promoting and selling myself so I’m not very familiar with the art market.

5. do you exhibit your works? how do you place yourself in actual art context?
I did exhibit some times but I don’t have a gallery that promotes me. I could use some exhibition space.
I don’t know how to place myself in actual art context. That’s one thing I really don’t care about at all.

6. is there a common idea that go across all your works?
My work is about freedom in the first place. There’s a strong link with music. Just like music my art is about autonomy, licentiousness, passion, color and rhythm. And when I look at my work I can see some theme's coming back often. Themes like social miscommunication and incomprehension between people. Alienation.