ARTIST STATEMENT

It might sound strange, but the first time I experienced a tremendous shock of recognition, I was at a commemoration exhibition of Mark Rothko (1903 - 1970). Even-though my work did not develop in the direction of this kind of abstract expressionism, still it was Rothko's work that gave me the impulse to go my own way. I saw that it was possible to decide on my own manner in the art of painting'. What struck me in Rothko's work was the search for balance on a flat surface, the appeal of a large colored area as well as the vibration of colors on such a large canvas. 
In my paintings, this fascination is translated in large floor areas of museum interiors. Museums provide me with the right kind of rooms: they are prestigious and attentive to architecture while at the same time subservient to accommodate art. It is not that I literally copie the rooms, but by choosing a different composition I create fictional spaces and alter the view to complement and intensify the image. 
By visiting various modern museums, I am offered the motive for a new painting. When I'm standing in such a room, I'm impressed by the atmosphere, the peace, the coolness of it all, it strikes me emotionally. I put out my feelers as I wonder how I can shape these emotions. As it takes form in my head, the process of translating an emotional concept into a rational solution begins. The attraction towards the subject is purely emotional. The translation into a painting however is a rational process.

BIOGRAPHY

The Artist Willem van Veldhuizen (Rotterdam 1954) worked over the past 30 years on an extensive body of work. The main theme in his paintings are 'Museum interiors'. 
Van Veldhuizens paintings are generally painted in a fixed composition. A view from inside a space to the outside. The upper part of the canvas shows a wall or glass window through which a garden or an urban landscape is visible. The foreground shows a large floor area. The reality of the buildings, nature or the outside world is reflected in the floors. The upper part of the canvas is painted with a high degree of precision while the lower part of the canvas is generally painted in a more loose manner.
Besides painting, Van Veldhuizen is proficient in drawing from life, model drawing. His works are in various private and museum collections. There are also several monographs published.