Klaske Bootsma – 11:37
About this activity.
For visual artist Klaske Bootsma (1995), who graduated in 2023 from the Frank Mohr Institute in Groningen, self-examination plays an important role in the painting process. In her search for authenticity and ultimate answers, she continuously questions her art and artistry. Her work is on show in the new solo exhibition 11:37 in AFSLAG BLV.
In this exhibition, Bootsma shows not only paintings on canvas, but also works of art made with pieces of wood fished out of the container and sawn in half. The mutual relationship between these works, both large and small, and the contrast between wood and canvas, tradition and experiment, plays an important role. Through her sometimes unorthodox choice of materials, she combats prejudices and questions what the material adds to the message of the artwork.
Bootsma also exhibits several recent drawings. Many of these drawings were created as sketches for larger works, but turned out to be the end product for the artist. The works that Bootsma has created over the past year are a follow-up to her graduation in terms of method and style, but are a lot more personal.
Many of her paintings can be interpreted as self-portraits in which the artist repeatedly shares bits of information about herself. Bootsma attaches importance to the fact that her work remains as transparent as possible. She is constantly looking for a personal relationship with the act of painting.
By painting a lot, experimenting with new materials and documenting the making process, Bootsma hopes to enter into an in-depth dialogue with her work.
“My paintings show a tangle of thoughts, doubts, criticism, ideas, questions and solutions without sticking to specific themes. Over the past year I have gotten a better idea of the underlying concepts and have been working on making them more apparent in my works of art. I constantly think about the value of the painting and my role as a maker. This is reflected in how I place myself in a work and which materials I choose. One day I painted '11:37' on a black board because I get up too late, the next day I used my initials as a shape on a large canvas to place myself in a signature way in a classic painting shape.”
– Klaske Bootsma (2024)
Astrid Nobel considered the Minerva Academy in Groningen and followed residency programs at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute (Chongqing), Flux Factory (New York) and Rijksakademie in Amsterdam.
Museum Belvédère.
Location.
Afslag BLV
Minckelersstraat 11
8442 CE Heerenveen
www.museumbelvedere.nl/nl/