AAA #05 (2019) Collages by Martin Voorbij

Collages of a disappeared world image

Martin Voorbij calls his work ´Reframe and Revitalize´. The use of this imperative form, that he chooses to represent his visual idea, is instantly softened by its result, which produces a big smile onto my face. The artist offers us delightful new work, that causes a strong desire to observe more closely, as there is so much to be seen. Observing it from a short distance, Voorbij´s art disperses an utterly inviting atmosphere, due to its use of warm colours, which remind us of a time when artists used to blend their own paints, and needed only few tones to picture the visual affluence of a landscape.
While taking a closer look, Voorbij´s collages invite one to take in the many details he clipped from discarded paintings, and ´revitalized´ into a new world. He displays a kaleidoscopic world, filled with buildings, skies, landscapes and perspectives, that are so clearly deviated from one another, that is almost impossible to get lost in this seemingly convincing illusion.

As soon as observation evolves into reflection, Voorbij´s art raises a lot of questions, offering us a great opportunity to gain new perspectives on this form of art. Are we dealing with art vandalism here, in which the artist gets to decide what becomes of hundreds of art works that are sold at thrift stores and flea markets?  Art works that, either justly or unjustly, have not been labelled as either historical or artistically valuable; forgotten, abandoned and carelessly discarded. Can Voorbij simply appoint himself creator of these regained images?
The word ´revitalizing´ however, has a positive connotation as Voorbij demonstrates by transforming parts of unloved painting into new, ostensibly attractive world images. Are these new depictions a truly attractive alternative?

Recognition, nostalgia and melancholy happen to evolve into estrangement, for the artist´s images are not a literal reflection of an existing era. The pictured landscapes, cities, and community are basically scattered sheets of canvas, meticulously glued together; they solely lack cohesion. Their chaos is not restrained by any well-considered angles.   

The degree of significance of Martin Voorbij´s work clearly cannot be described in just a few sentences. He provides us with a positive impression of ´what was´, but leaves us startled as to what we should do with this in the future. The past should not be an impediment for the future ahead of us.

• Nationality: NETHERLANDS
• Date of birth : unknown date
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Contemporary Dutch Artists