Ron Van Der Werf (1958) Untitled Abstraction

Ron van der Werf

Acrylic on canvas signed lower right. Deliberately untitled (read his biography).

Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm.

Biography :

Ron van der Werf (1958) studied at the ‘Koninklijke Academie voor Beeldende Kunst’ (Royal Academy of Art) situated in The Hague. To create his works of art, van der Werf uses acrylic and oil paint on canvas, panel or paper. Chalk, pencil, pieces of cloth, carton, wire and sand are also used. The colours he mostly uses are different shades of white, brown and blue. Subsequently, he glazes his paintings with transparent layers of oak, sienna and other earthy colours. The paintings are clearly a result of hard work and toil. This shows in the layers of paint mixed with various materials in which one can see the ‘genesis’ of the painting.

The paintings have no titles. This leaves the title open to interpretation for the viewer. Ron van der Werf deliberately does this, to give viewers the opportunity to experience something of the essence and timelessness that transcends the question of the delusion of everyday life.
While painting, he tells stories about the balance and imbalance in the world, his world.
Van der Werf works intuitively: he believes in an inner strength which pushes him to use certain shapes, colours and materials. Only after he has transferred the materials on the canvas, he sees what his inner self wanted him to create. His work can be seen as similar to music: the most abstract form of art. Material, colour and composition radiate tranquillity, salutary and strength.

Some inner images are not easily transferred to a new painting. It regularly happens that a painting looks finished, but the image does not seem to fit with the inner image or story thought of by van der Werf. Some pieces may then be removed or added, on top of the previous artwork. In this manner, associations pile up to form his world, his painting.