MATHIJS SIEMENS
Mathijs Siemens was born in Amsterdam in 1982 and that is still the city where he lives and works. Siemens studied at various Dutch academies but did not finish any of them. His views and search within the domain of the arts caused rejection in regular art education for a long time. Mathijs soon knew that as a young artist he had to invent his own procedures and choose his own material.
For several years now he has been developing techniques in which colorful cotton yarn is the most important material. By putting this fragile yarn under maximum tension, strong figurative compositions are created, in which the space between the 2- and 3-dimensional is an exciting field of work. By laying layers of yarn on top of each other and playing with lines, colors and reliefs, his artwork comes to life.
He clearly wants to create colourful and positive work. “It sometimes seems like the world is on fire, but I don’t want to tell you that again.” Cheerful art. Eye candy if you will, for himself and for others to temporarily break through the negativity and discomfort around us.
His exhibitions invite you to explore the dynamic interplay of colour, texture and form. Showcasing wall sculptures crafted from bright cotton yarn. The works create a striking optical experience. Each piece captures a sense of rhythm and movement, engaging the viewer into a dialogue between light, perspective and material. An exploration of harmonious and also conflicting colour relationships resulting in a synergistic coherence and balance.
In his medium and small works or ‘multiforms’ the artist enters into a dialogue with his material based on intuition and association. “I see my work as a series of spatial poems, as a translation of the tension between the rational and the irrational”, Siemens explains.
Siemens chooses to fully immerse himself in the construction of his works, layer upon layer, to let the creation fully unfold and flow. Each colour makes way for the next, present but not dominant. By stretching the yarn, Siemens’ sculptures create precise and subtle demarcations of surfaces and volumes. The layers of textile sometimes lead to almost architectural constructions. The combinations of different colors give the illusion of movement. They change as you walk around them. Your eyes have less grip on them: the image moves as an optical illusion.
He likes to steer towards this sensory experience and towards his own interpretation instead of ‘knowledge’. When you see his work, you feel the tension, the hard work, the search. It is never finished, never enough, never perfect. Always a void that needs to be filled, a new, better idea that needs to see the light of day.
The fate of the artist?
Artist Statement
My art produces beauty, not meaning…
During my studies I was asked what my work was actually about. Like many students, I had no answer at the time. I only knew that I really wanted to make things.
For me, art is not an object but an optical experience. The relationship between effort and effect is what fascinates me. I investigate colour harmony, but also the contradictory relationship between stacked colors. And certainly, also an exploration of conflicting colour relationships. It is an almost endless experiment to create a dynamic, imaginary work, energetic and intense.
I have done all kinds of things and especially searched for a freer way to express myself. Cotton yarn turned out to be a material that I could claim for myself. And in colour I found a new language. When ‘weaving’ the colors are created ‘line by line’, only at the end do you see the coherence and balance, just like in a poem. As Van Gogh once said it: “You can already speak of poetry by just arranging colors well” (Arles, November 1888).
The distinct use of colour is the first thing that catches the eye when you look at my works. For me, colors are entities in themselves and I always choose my colors intuitively.
My works require a primitive approach, without the expectation of finding a translation or deeper meaning. There is nothing that you need to bring with you to that experience, except your own thoughts and your own sense of space.
Art is a feeling. It’s a joy for the senses caught in a moment.
