Jan(Johan) Mulder | Maastricht, the Netherlands
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untitled, 1956
oil on canvas, 46x54cmMulder’s transition from figurative to abstract painting can be clearly observed in this exquisite still life. One could say that the transition was a natural one. The still life is set against a backdrop that is made up of colourful, fluid, intangible, abstract formations that almost blend into one another. The composition in the foreground seems to be in a state of deconstruction and starts to take on similar qualities as the shapes in the background. As familiar forms lose their importance, background and foreground lose their conventional distinction from each other.
It is interesting to note that the still life has been re-worked by the artist at a later date; testimony of the thoughtfulness with which the artist worked.
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untitled, 1976
watercolour on paper, 34x42cmIn the 1960’s Mulder seemed to have consolidated his mature work. The artist invites the viewer to contemplate and to appreciate shapes in their purest form. These watercolours exude an air of simplicity. Forms have been beautifully arranged, as if suspended, with great care and subduedly express an inner mood. Whilst concentrating on the still, an immensely fine vibration vitalises the compositional nuances.
Mulder’s work possesses organic qualities, such as exemplified by the background’s granular texture; reminiscent of the structural elements found in biological cells. However, where science might have its boundaries, limited to the physical world, these watercolours seem to extend beyond rational analysis.
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untitled, 1967
watercolour on paper, 34x42cmIn the 1960’s Mulder seemed to have consolidated his mature work. The artist invites the viewer to contemplate and to appreciate shapes in their purest form. These watercolours exude an air of simplicity. Forms have been beautifully arranged, as if suspended, with great care and subduedly express an inner mood. Whilst concentrating on the still, an immensely fine vibration vitalises the compositional nuances.
Mulder’s work possesses organic qualities, such as exemplified by the background’s granular texture; reminiscent of the structural elements found in biological cells. However, where science might have its boundaries, limited to the physical world, these watercolours seem to extend beyond rational analysis.