the Human Horseback Riders. 2017
This painting is part of a serie about human behavior in a contemporary context. How does our behavior physically relates to others in our surroundings, how can we support each other or bring them down? So on the one hand it’s about the psychology of human behavior. This specific piece refers on the other hand also to immigrants and refugees on the run. Placed in a surrounding that gives us the notion of a beach underlines the journey they’re into.
dr. Pants (and his personal assistant) Searching for his Incredible Loss. 2017
This recent painting, which is part of a new serie, continues on the hand on human behavior. It’s about how the physical and emotional relation of humans in a demarcated space relates to one another.
Thereby I started referring thematically to the play-types of the classical ‘commedia dell’ arte’ translated into an absurd contemporary staging.
bitch don’t take my flamingo, take my gnome instead. 2016
This painting is part of the series that I made during my artist residency in Detroit in 2016. I choose to work in Detroit because I was looking for a working period in a surrounding that depicts the fringes of western society. During this stay I worked most on the subjects of human and poverty, belongings and that what we value the most.
This painting was inspired by the US midwest culture of having gnomes and flamingos in their gardens. Even when the whole neighborhood is gone, burned down or just dilapidated.
The title and the painting plays with 2 person in an absurd staging and refers to materialism and that what we value most. Even when we have nothing left people still attribute their wealth to silly materialist products.
Note: The text above was written by the Artist. No modification was made by C.O.C.A.
Sjaak Kooij is an artist and art-teacher, living and working in the Netherlands. In his paintings he uses elements of actuality such as social, cultural or political issues that define our times. He takes images from media and everyday events – alternated with footage from his personal archive – out of their original context, which creates an exciting interaction between image and content. As a result, the spectator will be confronted with these contemporary topics in an entirely different way. With almost 20 show in the past two years. Wherefrom 4 solo-shows both national and international. An artist residency in Detroit, USA. Sjaak is working hard on his art career.