Minimalist painting is an art form with a hard visual language that can sometimes seem distant. Yet there are artists who bring back the human aspect to a sometimes dogmatic art form. Dolf Verlinden (Schiedam, 1960) has been working for years to give shape to his fascinations and to reach out to the viewer in an art form where not everyone expects a playful attitude. We spoke to him in his studio.
"When I was fifteen I moved to the North.Tynaarlo was quite isolated at the time and I soon found out that it was important to have something in which to express yourself. So I took lessons in Groningen at the School for Applied Arts where I realised that painting would be more to me than just a hobby and so I decided to dedicate myself fully to being an artist. In 1979, I went to Academy Minerva, where a whole world opened up for me. Being constantly involved in art is an extraordinary experience. I gained a lot of technical knowledge from painters like Matthijs Röling and Wout Müller, but the most important thing I learned is that it doesn't matter what you paint, but why you paint. What drives you as an artist? For me, it all started as a way to cope with the isolation I experienced in Drenthe, but the road ahead as an artist you can’t ever predict.
The core of my art practice is to question painting an sich. The work begins well before I pick up a brush and even the act of stretching a canvas I consider an integral part of the painting process. I am inspired by things I find in my surroundings; from discarded furniture panels that have been sawn into, to loose papers that happen to be in a composition that appeals to me. These materials act as catalysts that give me new insights about painting. I use oil paint and linen a lot because it has proven its functionality, but I do not shy away from using other materials such as acrylic paint, Plexiglas or photography. The execution carries the meaning of the work, so new materials bring new meanings and possibilities for the painter to play with. My imagery is predominantly minimalist and thus people think my work is very conceptual, but actually my art practice is very playful and open by nature.
A true minimalist would be horrified by the paint splatters and imperfections in my work
It's not that I come up with a concept and transfer it one on one to a canvas. I work intuitively and with every new inspiration the adventure with the paint begins; the search for how to give the right visual form to your fascinations. I play with the proportions and sizes of the works and while painting I sand things away and feel free to paint over things. A true minimalist would be horrified by the paint splatters and imperfections in my work, but these actually make the work a little less distant and in this way I try to reach out to the viewer. There is a certain limit to the imperfections I accept though, it depends on to what extent it is a disturbing influence on the subject. It could be that in a few years' time I'll make everything even more slick, but we'll see. As an artist, you don't have to answer for your actions and it's fine to be guided by your feelings. To tie everything down in rules would be far too dogmatic and suck all the life out of art."
Text: Dinnis van Dijken
Photos: Lisa Jasperina Bommerson