Droom Zacht
Anonymous
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This illustration is the result of an obsession I've had with both the art deco and art nouveau movements. My aunt, a classical realist painter herself, was inspired as a teenager by the illustrations of Arthur Rackham. Years ago she gave me several books of his work, which exposed me to the often whimsical work of the art nouveau movement. A little more than a year ago I came across the work of the artist Erte, whose bold figures led me to an interest in the Art Deco movement.
This summer I took a road trip up to Portland, where me and my family visited Powell's books. I was able to purchase two books, one on the illustration and fashion of the art deco movement, and a book specifically about the art nouveau movement within my stepdad's home county, the Netherlands. The book on the art nouveau movement often discussed the origins of a variety of print making methods. I started this piece shortly after the trip, and I think the influence is very clear. I tried to employ the many lines visible in certain styles of etching used in some printmaking techniques. I also felt very inspired by the many art nouveau advertisements and posters within the book of Dutch art, specifically in the composition of this piece. I wanted it to have certain abstract and purely decorative elements. I also think that that is where some of the art deco influence comes in. My main fascination with the art deco movement is its willingness to sacrifice realism, or even more emotional abstraction, for the sake of using bold shapes to create fascinating compositional elements out of everyday clothing and faces. I really wanted my depiction of the textures of the woman's hair and clothing to embrace that boldness.
The title "Droom Zacht" is a phrase I hear from my step-dad almost nightly. It's the Dutch counterpart to the English phrase ""Sweet Dreams,"" and it's both a reference to the importance of my stepdad and his culture in my life, as I do not have a relationship with my biological father, and the oftentimes whimsical and dreamlike nature of art nouveau pieces.
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Inspires really me to live. Drawing is relaxing, in the sense that it is a process in which I have the satisfaction of being able to solve problems. More broadly, art is the way I learn and connect with other people. I love to hear about art, which can bring me closer to new people or subjects.
