Renate Janse

"My work explores the constant movement of the human inner world. Thoughts, emotions and instincts exist simultaneously, influence one another and sometimes clash. Within that dynamic, I seek ways to make the invisible visible: how does an inner experience take on a physical form? My visual practice arises from that question.

Whereas my earlier work focused primarily on exploring emotions, the focus now lies more on organising mental complexity. Chaos, stimuli and associations are brought together to form new visual structures. In that process, creatures emerge that function as fragments of inner dialogues, memories and impulses. They represent an attempt to grasp the constant mental movement that is difficult to capture in language.

Using watercolour, Ecoline, water and wool, I work intuitively and experimentally. Stains, colour gradients and organic forms arise partly by chance and partly through deliberate interventions. The creative process unfolds in a constant interplay between control and spontaneity, with the material guiding the work. At times, the forms seem to reveal themselves, as if the subconscious is actively contributing to their creation.

Suggestions of animals, insects, cells or mythical organisms emerge from the stains. The open visual language creates space for interpretation and recognition. Some creatures appear playful and vulnerable, others restless or alienating. In this tension between anthropomorphism (the attribution of human characteristics to animals) and zoomorphism (the attribution of animal characteristics to humans), viewers are invited to assign their own meaning to form, emotion and association."

Contact:
renatejanse@hotmail.com