The paintings of Mirjam Vreeswijk (1997) have a surrealistic feel. And yet, all representations in her paintings exist in reality. That is, Vreeswijk first creates these scenes in her studio by making compositions with self-made miniature models, photographs, and found objects. Only after completing these will she start painting. The dreams and images in her head are her major sources of inspiration. Her work mimics the way in which dreams also often occur, alternating between recognizable and strange images.
Vreeswijk plays with the illusion of depth:“In my paintings it is difficult to see what is flat and what is three-dimensional. That is why I regularly use the image of a bow. For instance, when I paint a landscape that contains a lot of depth, I may literally put a bow around it to diminish the three-dimensional effect.”
The paintings she is exhibiting at Prospects combine elements from a variety of contexts. Together, these elements create an atmosphere the artist describes as melancholic, uncanny, gruesome, curious, and charming. Despite the fact that these works initially exist in reality, it is unclear what kind of reality we are actually looking at. To Vreeswijk, everyday objects are handles that give the spectators a sense of recognition or something to hold onto. But in the end the artist wants the viewers to lose their grip. Their reward for letting go is a surrealistic journey into Vreeswijk’s enchanting yet intangible world.
Text: Jorne Vriens
Translation from Dutch to English: Marie Louise Schoondergang