Leopold van de Ven

In my drawings, objects and collages I constantly search for a sensory confrontation, I look for forms that brace themselves and as such constitute the visibility of space. In my work I intend to make a stand against space.

My work is based on the concept of space; to show space and rediscover it, sometimes even in two-dimensional form, but always with the same idea in mind. This is how I see it: two qualities of a drawing are representation and the imagination of depth. An object has a three-dimensional, physical presence and can therefore be an inconvenience. It is tangible, has substance and can hence constitute a drama/tell a story.
My wall reliefs I describe as ‘two-dimensional sculptures’: a combination of the qualities of a drawing and those of a three-dimensional object. In this way I try to give the two-dimensional sculptures imaginary depth, without it becoming an image-like drawing. I call it ‘abstract surrealism’. The actual presence as a tangible object forms the three-dimensional element which enhances expression in the piece of art.