PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS

Total freedom is the elementary condition for every artist in being able to decide what he wishes to portray. This is what he – through his work – strives for. Independent of politics, economics, (private) history or culture he has to be loyal to his inner truth. It takes courage and perseverance to preach this intimate belief . To wit, this may imply that his truth will not be shared by an Avant Garde scene, nor that of the bourgeoisie. Faith and conviction delivers a true artist the strength to uphold and flourish.
Erwin de Hart first had to conquer a fierce battle from within to convince himself of his inner values. For his truth is an original one.
“I really like to play with force fields; to continually surprise myself and others through painting. To evolve. You could say there is a sort of anarchist in me. I for instance believe that the desire for painting an attractive woman in contemporary art is a subversive concept, and I enjoy doing that. There is a world of freedom for so many people to be gained, if only they could act on their most private wishes. I honestly never wanted to do anything else than expressing my self, but always had a hard time in doing so. Fortunately I can tell you today that I’ve outlived those years. I have the spirit. Though my anti-cynical viewpoint on our world, the aesthetics of accessible sensitivity and a love for colour and form will sometimes still shy me from making contact with the contemporary art world. But it’s getting better all the time ![laughs]”
Marcus Aurelius said that beauty radiates true wisdom.
Erwin de Hart: “At first, a colour comes to me, I ‘feel like’ painting that colour. Responding to this feeling, a second colour presents itself, a new harmony. Thus painting, a form appears. And so on. By opening myself up to this order of associations a work of art is being born. So there is no other concept than the concept of an extreme personal surprise. The concrete end result marks the destination of this voyage. And sometimes this means that I end up with a painting of a woman holding a bottle, a motor rider, or a cigarette. Why? Because I felt like it. To me, the senses shape the purpose”.

CERAMICS

Since 2008 Erwin de Hart produces clay tablets, bisque baked  on 1060 °C. To him they represent Silence [ see ‘Reflections’]
In high contrast to his colourful painted universe – fuelled by fantasy and sounds – here only daylight shines through. Erwin de Hart: “They are mirrors, clocks. The natural characteristics of this material enables one to portray the light in a very honest and rich way, the act of looking at them gives us a deeper sensation of the word Actuality.
I make them in the same way as I paint; I let the moment lead me to define size and form. The ever unpredictable fire then sometimes bends the tablet or breaks it even. This is what nature does, it tells the story of creation itself. My greatest joy is to guide this wonderful coincidence”.

2009, Mariacarla de Braulancorde