VAN KASTJE NAAR CANVASJE
2024
AGNIETENSTRAAT
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KIM BUISMAN
Kim Buisman ( 1987) is a painter and poet from Utrecht. Her work employs classical painting techniques to depict the surrealism of man and nature. ‘Humans are fascinating animals. How do we deal with our own nature? Through painting I look for a kind of connection, for an image like a poem – direct and sensitive.’
Het verhaal achter het kunstwerk
“Only love gives me shelter”
The image shows an older, reclining, naked man. I placed the resting man in an old wooden hut with a tiled roof. The red color of the tiles stands out and emphasizes the theme of shelter, literally having ‘a roof over your head.’
From the neighborhood, I heard about the rich history surrounding the traffic light box: old courtyards, beautiful museums, and the Fundatie of Maria van Pallaes – the beautiful row of houses opposite the box, the so-called ‘Kameren van Maria van Pallaes’ from 1651, were originally built as housing for the poor. They also pointed out the painting by Hendrick Bloemaert, The Annual Distribution of Food to the Poor by Maria van Pallaes (1657), in the Centraal Museum.
I realized the story should be about shelter – every person has the need to rest somewhere safely, sheltered from the outside world. The design represents this universal human need.
“It is a great honor to contribute to a place that holds so much significance for so many people.“
Using a suggestive painting style, I hope to evoke a sense of vulnerability. The austere color palette of only classical pigments such as burnt umber, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and ivory black aligns the box with 17th-century architecture and somewhat mirrors the palette Bloemaert used in his 1657 painting of Maria van Pallaes.
With my addition to the streetscape, I hope to surprise and touch passersby. As a local resident put it: ‘It is a bit sad. But it is what it is. Very beautiful.’
How did the painting go?
The painting days were warm and crowded. I had an incredible number of passersby, of all sorts and sizes. Many of them stopped to look closely. This led to numerous enjoyable conversations. A particularly special encounter was with Deborah, an American passerby and fellow artist. She approached me in astonishment, saying, ‘That man looks just like Jacques, who lives right across from this box!’ It felt as if it was meant to be, as we both agreed.
My interaction with the neighborhood went very well. During the painting process, I spoke with various neighbors, some of whom came by multiple times a day to admire the progress. And every morning, I received a cup of coffee from the Fundatie van Renswoude.
Painting in public spaces is a wonderful experience. Sometimes it can feel quite vulnerable to create art in public and get into a creative focus. But you meet so many different kinds of people, and it is very encouraging to receive positive reactions. All in all, this project was highly inspirational and I enjoyed it a lot.
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