Since completing my art education in 1985, I have been making abstract spatial work from wood. For the past 20 years, I have mainly made wooden musicians.
Music has always been a source of inspiration for me, not only as a creative expression, I have been playing the drums and the guitar since I was young. But also as a universal language that tells deep emotions and stories.The musicians I make represent for me not only the musical act, but also the essence of the music itself: the rhythm, the energy, the passion and the connection between the player and his instrument. The design, the appearance and the aesthetic whole are therefore an important component.
In my work I combine this love for music with respect for nature and materials. The wood I use comes from pruned or dead trees. The musical instruments are old and often no longer playable. The wood and the old instruments have their own history and using them feels like a tribute to the life cycle of the material—from tree to musical instrument, to the creation of the artwork.
My sculptures are not static figures, but dynamic musicians of movement and emotion. I want the energy of the music to be felt, even if the work is still. The cubist approach I use—by combining parts of instruments in a new way—aims for me to capture the person behind the musician.
By breathing new life into old instruments, once played by jazz, rock or classically trained musicians, and old dead wood, I tell the story of the musician.
N.B. Most sculptures can also be adapted as a wall object, and some wall objects can also be used as a free-standing sculpture. Incidentally, each statue can be supplied with both a large and a small pedestal.
The very sharp photo's with the clear white background are made by photographer Marco Stroet, Sander Heezen, and since 2022 by photographer Alex Cohen