Steven ten Thije, 13 August 2018
Looking and seeing – thoughts on the work of Theresa Rijssenbeek
Why paint? In all its simplicity, still a difficult question. In an age when images appear in thousandfold at the simple touch of a smart screen, why toil with a brush, pencil or pen? For the painter, however, it is not a question at all. They know why. The answer comes to them over and over again, every time the brush touches the canvas and the miracle of creating an image is repeated. But the non-painter keeps on searching. Perhaps you feel the simple autonomy of the painting, yet still you look for language to make that autonomy comprehensible. As if fascination with the painting itself is not enough. It has been my task for years to find those words, in this case language to encapsulate the work of Theresa Rijssenbeek.
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Hans Paalman, curator
Museum of Modern Art (Stedelijk Museum) Schiedam, the Netherlands.
On one hand interpreting reality, on the other hand leaving out elements, focussing on the painting’s very essence; in my opinion this is the pictorial power of her work.
Amongst the various trends in Dutch and international arts theresa rijssenbeek occupies a special place with work that can only touch us.
Hans Paalman 1996
David Blake, poet on theresa rijssenbeek, painter
Asked to write an article about theresa rijssenbeek’s paintings I agreed, albeit not without trepidation, for I am no art historian, but a poet. The art historian in his analysis of works of art has at his disposal an arsenal of terminology and jargon, which often results in a baffling pot-pourri for the layman.
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David Blake, poet (1996)
Four years ago, when I was asked to define my feelings about theresa rijssenbeek’s artistic achievement I was immediately struck by the interplay of poetry and rhythm; sensuality and lyricism. The synopsis suggested that a tension was afoot, unresolved as yet, but brooding behind the elements of darkness and light and the juxtaposition of colour and form.
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