Solo-exhibition: ‘As if ...’
My memory
is activated when I make a first paint stroke or stain on a canvas.
No,
actually, before seeing something in the studio. Seeing encourages me to take
action.
I
immediately think in images that remind me of something.
Something I
have seen, experienced or made myself before. I think: "As if .."
That can be
something from reality, my own body, an event.
Something
has stuck to me, from art, from the media, internet.
So every action
is connected with a consideration.
After I
dealt with painting fairly limitlessly until about 2015 (installations,
performances, video inside and outside of protective walls),
I searched
for self-imposed limitations. Back to paint on canvas. Back to all painters who
also limited themselves to this.
Within this
I found a new boundlessness, the limitation is lifted by connecting the process
of making with the process of remembering,
with the
process of seeking form for experiences of the present.
It is not
surprising that this has consequences for the appearance of a painting.
The
considerations and actions that are made during the painting process are fed in
parallel by daily life and everything that you engage as a person or get sucked
into.
Maintaining
yourself in that turbulence is tested simultaneously in the painting process.
Titles can
point the way, but can also send them into the forest.
If you
think I've got it, the image in your head will slip away, the association will
continue. The title can simply point to something else. Nothing stays the same.
"But
what is" that "anyway?
ANYTHING between ""
#ellenrodenberg_erf
Exhibition at Galerie Lutz, Delft
(cancelled after the second week)
ERf_2-2020
*
‘STILL’
Solo tentoonstelling @
SPACE-PROJECT-01/Stichting Ruimtevaart 2019
Schilderkunst is een
medium waar ik gelukkig nooit grip op krijg.
Met alle kennis van de
wereld voorhanden, snap ik nog steeds niets van de wereld
maar wel steeds meer van
de reikwijdte van de verbeelding via de schilderkunst.
Daar zit het
spanningsveld en tevens datgene wat schilderen zo verslavend spectaculair
maakt.
Om tijdens het werkproces
de kans op een verrassend open beeld te verhogen kies ik per periode een andere
werkwijze.
Enige tijd geleden
begon ik losse doeken over opgespannen doeken te leggen.
Gefascineerd door de
vele kleurrijke paletten die in mijn
atelier rondzwierven,
ging ik schilderijen
als grote mengpaletten gebruiken.
Zonder me druk te
maken over compositie gebruikte ik het ene doek om het andere te beschilderen
(en andersom)
met water verdunde en
binder aangelengde acrylverf.
Daarnaast maakte ik
vele olieverf studies op kleine doeken.
De associaties op
vroeger gebruikte motieven aangevuld met nieuwe,
zorgden voor nieuwe
mogelijkheden om vormen versus kleur te onderzoeken.
Zodra er bij een van
de werken tijdens het schilderen een ingang tot het schilderij ontstaat,
dan wordt dat het
focuspunt.
Het schilderen wordt
dan geleid door een vaag geheugenbeeld wat al schilderend tot een nieuw beeld
leidt.
De tentoonstelling ‘Still’ is een samenstelling van schilderwerken van de
afgelopen 2 jaar.
Een film still is iets wat
tijdens het film kijken niet van belang is.
Maar een film random
stilzetten kan na lange observatie van dat beeld
ook buiten de film een
eigen leven gaan leiden.
Ik zie de kleine
doeken als een verzameling van vele stills uit
verschillende films.
Ik hoop hiermee een
tentoonstellingsbeeld te maken
wat zowel per
schilderij afzonderlijk als samengesteld een ervaring van verwondering
oplevert.
Ellen Rodenberg,
februari 2019
*
Motivatie / Motief
Ik zoek de natuur
op en vraag me af hoe alle elementen samenspelen. Natuur is voor mij alles, dus
hierbinnen valt ook de mens en de door de mens geconstrueerde wereld.
Ik zoek
georganiseerde activiteiten (in de realiteit en in allerlei media) op en vraag
me af wat maakt de zichtbare beweging.
Ik beoefen de
schilderkunst om:
ERF_ 2018
*
The dynamics of Ellen Rodenberg
In her artwork Ellen Rodenberg gives both a differential as well as an apt
dynamic picture of her progress.
Initially the artist was self-taught and subsequently she continued at the Koninklijke Academie in Den Haag
to obtain her Degree in Fine Art over a two-year period.
Besides paintings she also makes three-dimensional installations and
videos; which have been frequently used in music performances in the The Hague underground scene where her videos have been
shown as a part of the overall programme.
This broad range of activities appears to have consistently contributed to
a painterly development, which has lead to an
interesting new body of work. In the paintings the previous formal
characteristics continue to prevail; they have been divided in four squares. In
the four forms a different approach is used, but throughout this approach in
all four the same subject or motif flows.
This subject is recognizable at times, at times only partially and in a few
works it disappears from sight altogether enabling the painting to become a
complete abstract geometric canvas although through the transparent layers of paint it is still possible to detect a
suggestion of the original subject matter. In some instances the subject matter
deals with landscapes in which the spatial referential remains. For instance: in a recent canvas the landscape is divided in four sections
unto which a circular design is painted,
which in itself has again been divided in four different sections and through
this defracted process the displayed figure acts as a
repository. If one wonders what exactly is
going on here the fist thing that becomes apparent
that the internally divided and at times faded landscapes are an important and
informative element in her work; as memories partially faded and tinted.
On the other hand these elements have been sufficiently incorporated that
the painting can be seen as an autonomous abstract work. The cross, which
divides the canvas, forms an important part in the whole picture; the four
approaches, separations appear as an integral part of the canvas and structure and thereby further
support each other’s context. The more flat painted canvasses strongly suggest
the flag motif and its suggestive countenance makes it an important theme in
the artists work.
Ellen Rodenberg has also discovered a third dimension to her work; the need to investigate
her concerns with other means at her disposal such as making installations out
of Styrofoam and in which she employs toys, photo’s
and small dolls to make these spaces dynamic. Photographs made of these
installations can act again as a source of inspiration for new paintings.
In 2004 the artist began a web log ‘MULTI-MPRESSIELOG’ where she noted
personal observations and experiences and in doing so positioned herself in a different manner
in the art world.
.
In the new studio in de DCR a number of things took place in the
development and progress of her work. In the paintings a concentration unto two
subject matters takes place. Firstly a number of used motifs in the work are
erased and in doing so these abstract elements used in the process strengthen themselves The abstract
elements flowing out of the motifs are used in rhythmic patterns and again in
these paintings the aforementioned characteristics emerge: the canvasses are colourful, contain depth are dynamic
and contain a confrontation of different picturorial elements. Conflicting ideas move and collide in the pictorial space.
Following a residency in her Cemeti
Art Centre in Djokyakarta in
Indonesia
organised by HEDEN in 2008 Ellen Rodenberg began to use a
new discipline: besides photography and making studies she began to make videos
to record her observations and noticed how important national identity is in
Indonesia. This identity is confirmed in public spaces through symbols as well
as the public’s
behaviour. This gave Rodenberg the idea to return to her
theme of flags. She
began to make fictitious flags containing four equal colour fields. In the first instance the flags were sown
together using textiles and displayed in various public venues. She further decided to use them
as projection screens and was surprised by the result as the projected video’s
appeared in a filtered coloured
light. They resembled fragments of memory as they surface in our minds. Back in
The Netherlands she further experimented with this subject matter and edits
found synchronised sound. This leads to numerous collaborations
and public performances with sound artists.
Photographs taken from the video projections emerge subsequently as a
source of inspiration for work to follow. Paintings with text and in a flag
pattern suggest memory; filtered, coloured and fragmented. Simultaneously the paintings are completely abstract and
the flag motif adds to its autonomous identity. The way in which they are
worked out refers to Modernism and even further to formalistic work. This explorative way of working is
extended in the current series: the separating cross moves across the surface
and in doing so it causes the divided surfaces to become asymmetrical.
You could surmise and say that Ellen Rodenberg would like to be called a painter whose idea’s are formulated and executed in multiple and dynamic
ways. She develops her ideas and themes in a constant state of flux and motion and through
experimenting with all sorts of different media and techniques. The
confrontation of her work with work done by others and her own by form a
continuous challenge in her work practise. The paintings which emerge out of this process balance on the edge of
figuration and abstraction which equally occurred at the time of the
transitional stage of Modernism: the tension found in the opposites and the
energetic research by the artist are visible in the strength of the paintings by Ellen
Rodenberg.
Adaptation: Ineke Van der Wal
Taken from the original text by Kees Koomen of October 2010.
*
Het werk van Ellen Rodenberg is
gebaseerd op de herinnering.
Speelde deze aanvankelijk een hoofdrol bij de tot standkoming
van het schilderij, later verschuift het accent meer naar de vraagstelling, het
hoe en waarom van het schilderen zelf.
Uit talrijke tekeningen en gouaches komen vanaf het jaar 2001 min of meer
terloops diverse motieven bovendrijven. Rodenberg rubriceert deze van de
herinnering afgeleide beelden onder de nummers 0 tot en met 13. Zij hanteert nu
een lijst van 14 motieven. Elk motief heeft zijn eigen icoon. Deze tekens
worden niet op zichzelf staand weergegeven, maar door elkaar heen. Het ene
motief kan het andere beïnvloeden en transformeren tot nieuwe vormen en
kleuren. Tesamen zijn het op elkaar reagerende
vormmodellen die toegepast kunnen worden in nieuwe schilderijen of zelfs
letterlijk tastbaar worden in een driedimensionale opstelling als een onderzoek
naar nieuwe elementen die weer in de schilderijen gebruikt kunnen worden.
Tekst: Will Lutz
Galerie Lutz, Delft
*
Landing Soon#7 2008
Artist
in residence, Yogyakarta, Indonesia 2008 Ellen Rodenberg, born in Amsterdam in 1955, studied at Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten in
Den Haag.
Ellen Rodenberg is a painter who focuses
her attention on concepts of construction and deconstruction of symbols and
meanings. Toys are one source of inspiration and icons that are used to paint
ideas about human culture. Throughout this residency, this artist, with an
interest in history, religiosity and education, has wrestled with ‘kitschy’
plastic toys while pondering questions about the culture of imitating that she
often encountered in Yogya. Imitating, at a certain
level is actually one of the oldest human traits and part of creativity it self. However, how far this can be carried into the
creative processes of an individual is a question that must eventually be
asked. Ellen Rodenberg’s installation is a search for
an answer at the same time as it is an collection of impressions of human behavior in Yogyakarta, her home country, the Netherlands,
and in every part of the world.
Text in catalogue:
Landing Soon #7
Following a Trail, Creating Texture
I don’t think Ellen Rodenberg is just
playing with the dozens of objects she
collected during her residency in Jogja,
after I observed the way how she arranges
the various plastic toys, such as toy soldiers,
tanks, cars, motorcycles, trees, flags, etc.,
on her worktable. Her methods recall the
joys of a child in selecting whatever she
likes and placing them into positions. This,
collecting various objects that caught her
fancy, was the first thing Ellen did upon
arriving in Jogja.
It was interesting when Ellen, an artist
born in Amsterdam in 1955, shared her
worktable with her children. It is probable
that we, adults, would be annoyed with
sharing the space, because the objects
Ellen collected were similar to her children’s
toys. However, Ellen partitioned the table,
drawing a clear boundary between her
children’s playing area and her own art
space. This proves she was not just playing,
as she was busy arranging and rearranging,
repositioning the various objects, while
trying to identify them and understand
their symbols and meanings. Ellen is
currently conducting historical research on
these objects that she will present as
footnotes.
There is a deep conviction to follow the
history of these objects. For instance,
the swastika is a Nazi symbol associated
with the terrifying and oppressive Hitler
regime. However, this is not the symbol’s
meaning for which Ellen is searching;
rather, she is focusing on the other meanings
and relevancies that developed and are
used in other contexts. The swastika is also
a devotional symbol for the Hindus. These
contrasting and contradictory meanings
Following a Trail, Creating Texture
become the base for Ellen’s research. She
focuses her attention on the diverse
perspectives of a symbol. In essence, she
wants to prove that any one symbol does
not belong to any specific group, language,
or discourse, but rather a symbol can have
different meanings, uses and rites in
different contexts.
Ellen’s background in painting explains
how she views these objects in two and
three dimensions. At this point, I see
Ellen’s unique artistic language. I think her
experience in conducting this unusual
exploration provides a valuable opportunity
to witness the process behind a final
product. The stability of painting
conventions that represent two dimensions
on a canvas seem to be shattered by Ellen’s
exploration process. For her, process
represents the basic foundation of the
final product. She demonstrates how a
miniature landscape of flags must be seen
from two visual aspects, i.e., flat and
three-dimensional.
Ellen’s artworks are explorations of
thought and intuition, a balance
between mind and soul. Sometimes, she
intuitively seizes objects she finds
without needing any previous intense
contemplation. The final result of this
process is an installation in the Cemeti Art
House exhibition space. This is Ellen’s
painting. Not a two-dimensional painting,
but one with volume that fills the space.
Various compositions of objects are spread
out; some in miniature form, others that
have been magnified. Dragon Ball, as a
hero from a Japanese comic series, is
present in life-size form, in the four corners
of the simulation arena. The Dragon Ball
character and a number of other objects
were chosen because they are cartoon
figures and are associated with strength
or can be perceived as metaphors of
authority.
This Landing Soon #7 project has
enticed Ellen to become familiar with,
understand, or, to be more specific, play,
with the similarities and differences of
cultural symbols. Three months is too short
to understand the cultural milieu of
Yogyakarta, as the heart of the Mataram
kingdom, which has a long history in the
crossroads of Javanese traditions, diverse
religions and the formation of a modern
society. Of course, one of the unique
features is how the colonial Dutch presence
in the past remains in buildings, language
and various cultural practices. Ellen is
aware of this past from the Netherlands, a
European country that has complex
history. Differences, similarities and
various relationships in the past form a
kind of collective memory that can be
recalled, forgotten, or become a symbol
ready to be deconstructed. These symbols
may at one time have been sacred signs of
reverence and nobility, but now have
assumed totally opposite meanings.
Symbols are the most articulate signs of
a perspective or ideology. The use of
symbols in society represents a kind of
undivided bond. The presence of these
symbols is a way of identifying and marking
an existence. The need for the presence of
these symbols is as old as humanity, homo
symbolicum. During the
period of her
residency in Jogja, Ellen became aware
that following the trails of symbols was
one way to get to know a new place, space
and culture – both universal symbols, such
as the popular Dragon Ball, who everyone
knows, regardless of territorial boundaries
and national ideologies, as well as symbols
used actively in local contexts in Yogyakarta.
This can be seen in the documentary
photos and videos Ellen recorded of various
monuments, landscapes, plants, animals,
and people that she felt were potentially
both similar and different. This recording
process took place not only in Yogyakarta,
but also when she visited and made
presentations in Solo and Semarang.
Symbols, in the context of Ellen’s search,
are like a spider’s web. The symbols
exist in a structure and are experienced
culturally. One symbol is like a footnote
for a supra-structure. I think Ellen stops
here. She guides us to the face of this
symbolic structure. Perhaps “symbolic
texture” is more accurate. As texture, it
becomes a composition. We can see this in
a number of two-dimensional painting
fields, where colors and lines form specific
symbolic contours.
What is Ellen searching for through
this long process that involves
interpretation and duplication of various
signs? I think Ellen is one who ponders.
Beneath her methods in learning about a
new place and culture, there is another
underlying process, as if she wants to
redefine herself as a “new symbol” in
various forms of language play that are
constantly in the process of evolving.
Tekst from the
catalogue: Landing Soon #7 Ellen Rodenberg
Tekst, A.Sudjud Dartanto,
Yogyakarta 2008
Uitgave, Cemeti Art House, Yogyakarta