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Robert Roest (1992, Leerbroek, lives and works in Jersey City, USA) studied at the HKU, Utrecht. His works has been exhibited at: LAM Museum Lisse (ongoing collection presentation); CINNNAMON, Rotterdam (solo 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016); Wildenberg Art Projects, Naarden (duo, 2018); Ballroom Project, Antwerp (2019); Galerie Sofie van de Velde, Antwerp (2018).
Robert Roests practice of painting is visually rooted in both the contemporary world of new media and the history of painting. His work is structured in series of 5-10 paintings. By approaching the work via a serial method he is able to explore the possibilities of his themes from different angles, deploy multiple styles, and keep his work open and not be pinned down on a particular idea or perspective. This structured method is not about artistic freedom, it has everything to do with conceptualizing ideas, thoughts and themes that Roest wants to address in his work.
In his work Roest explores phenomenon like perception, projection, illusion and representation. It is about the interrelationship between reality and your senses. Briefly, all his work revolves around the questions ‘can you trust your senses?’ ‘Can you believe your eyes?’ The paintings are much about the physical experience of seeing. They are about the impact images have on us, not at least the images we see online. Even deeper they are about the impact our eyes have on images, since an image doesn’t fundamentally change over time, but our ways of seeing, and our views, does.
Robert Roests practice of painting is visually rooted in both the contemporary world of new media and the history of painting. His work is structured in series of 5-10 paintings. By approaching the work via a serial method he is able to explore the possibilities of his themes from different angles, deploy multiple styles, and keep his work open and not be pinned down on a particular idea or perspective. This structured method is not about artistic freedom, it has everything to do with conceptualizing ideas, thoughts and themes that Roest wants to address in his work.
In his work Roest explores phenomenon like perception, projection, illusion and representation. It is about the interrelationship between reality and your senses. Briefly, all his work revolves around the questions ‘can you trust your senses?’ ‘Can you believe your eyes?’ The paintings are much about the physical experience of seeing. They are about the impact images have on us, not at least the images we see online. Even deeper they are about the impact our eyes have on images, since an image doesn’t fundamentally change over time, but our ways of seeing, and our views, does.
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The series ‘CASUS’ consists of 5 paintings each depicting a slice of cheese. The cheeses are painted in a photo-realistic, almost traditional style with great detail and subtle color nuances. The works seem to be late post-modern descendants of the 17th century still life genre. The format, shape and monochrome color seem to flirt slightly with the strict minimalism and playful conceptualism of the 1960s. The banal, everyday motif of the paintings seems to breathe contemporary pop art.
At first glance, the paintings are just beautiful realistically painted slices. After that, however, faces inevitably appear, suspiciously reminiscent of emojis. The slices seem to grin or to smile at the viewer. It is crazy, stupid, superficial. The works are as caricatural as they are sacral. The austere atmosphere in a Roman sanctuary is not far from an exhibition space with these paintings on the wall. The paintings have something paradoxical, they are like split personality’s. It is not clear whether you should take the works as seriously as the way they are painted. Neither is clear whether the work is as superficial as the dumb heads that seem to be in it. Is there a celebration? Mockery? Is it beautifully painted superficiality? Or is it more intelligent than it seems?
The titles of the paintings provide the viewer with various perspectives in which the work can be viewed in various ways. From the spirit and achievements of various movements in art history, we play with our ways of seeing, understanding and placing what is being viewed. The series title ‘CASUS’ invites you to examine the paintings as a case, whether or not with forensic precision.
At first glance, the paintings are just beautiful realistically painted slices. After that, however, faces inevitably appear, suspiciously reminiscent of emojis. The slices seem to grin or to smile at the viewer. It is crazy, stupid, superficial. The works are as caricatural as they are sacral. The austere atmosphere in a Roman sanctuary is not far from an exhibition space with these paintings on the wall. The paintings have something paradoxical, they are like split personality’s. It is not clear whether you should take the works as seriously as the way they are painted. Neither is clear whether the work is as superficial as the dumb heads that seem to be in it. Is there a celebration? Mockery? Is it beautifully painted superficiality? Or is it more intelligent than it seems?
The titles of the paintings provide the viewer with various perspectives in which the work can be viewed in various ways. From the spirit and achievements of various movements in art history, we play with our ways of seeing, understanding and placing what is being viewed. The series title ‘CASUS’ invites you to examine the paintings as a case, whether or not with forensic precision.
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Robert Roest
Born in 1992 Leerbroek, The Netherlands
Lives and works in New Jersey, NJ
Education
HKU (Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht)
Solo Exhibitions
2020 Meatware Ecosystem II, Cinnnamon, Rotterdam
2019 Images for Deep Relaxation and Physiological Hygiene, Cinnnamon, Rotterdam
2019 I wanna leave the snake skin, Herman van Veen Art Center, Soest
2017 Meatware Ecosystem, Cinnnamon, Rotterdam
2016 Exorcise from a safe distance, Cinnnamon, Rotterdam
Selected Group Exhibitions
2022 Hidden Remains, Fontana Gallery, Amsterdam NL. Curated by Pieter Dobbelsteen
2022 Message from the Underground, Mana Contemporary, Jersey City, US
2022 Direct Message, TW Fine Art, New York, US
2021 The Interior, Venus over Manhattan, New York, US
2021 The Modern Dog Painter II, New Galerie, Paris, FR
2021 Richard Waar?, Pictura, Dordrecht, NL
2021 When shit hits the fan again, Guts Gallery, London, UK
2021 A New Art World, Guts Gallery, London, UK
2021 Cave Canem, Eve Leibe Gallery, London, UK
2021 The Modern Dog Painter, Karl Marx Studio Space, Paris, FR
2020 Let me tell you a story, LIS10 Gallery, Milan, IT
2019 Ballroom Project, Cinnnamon, Antwerp, BE
2019 TWENTYFORSEVEN, academiegalerie, Utrecht, NL
2018 Sky is one, ground is zero, Allard Wildenberg Art Projects, Naarden, NL
2018 Soft?, Gallery Sophie van de Velde, Antwerp, BE
2018 Screw Your Courage To The Sticking Place, Showhouse JayJay, Antwerp, BE
2017 Young Utrecht Delight, Galerie SANAA, Utrecht, NL
2015 Driemensionaal, Galerie Kunstliefde, Utrecht, NL
2014 Licht, Zomerexpo, Gemeente Museum Den Hague, NL
2013 Promise Promise, Frank Taal Galerie, Rotterdam, NL
2013 Exposure, HKU Academy, Utrecht, NL
Art Residencies
2022 CCA Andratx, Mallorca, Spain
Born in 1992 Leerbroek, The Netherlands
Lives and works in New Jersey, NJ
Education
HKU (Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht)
Solo Exhibitions
2020 Meatware Ecosystem II, Cinnnamon, Rotterdam
2019 Images for Deep Relaxation and Physiological Hygiene, Cinnnamon, Rotterdam
2019 I wanna leave the snake skin, Herman van Veen Art Center, Soest
2017 Meatware Ecosystem, Cinnnamon, Rotterdam
2016 Exorcise from a safe distance, Cinnnamon, Rotterdam
Selected Group Exhibitions
2022 Hidden Remains, Fontana Gallery, Amsterdam NL. Curated by Pieter Dobbelsteen
2022 Message from the Underground, Mana Contemporary, Jersey City, US
2022 Direct Message, TW Fine Art, New York, US
2021 The Interior, Venus over Manhattan, New York, US
2021 The Modern Dog Painter II, New Galerie, Paris, FR
2021 Richard Waar?, Pictura, Dordrecht, NL
2021 When shit hits the fan again, Guts Gallery, London, UK
2021 A New Art World, Guts Gallery, London, UK
2021 Cave Canem, Eve Leibe Gallery, London, UK
2021 The Modern Dog Painter, Karl Marx Studio Space, Paris, FR
2020 Let me tell you a story, LIS10 Gallery, Milan, IT
2019 Ballroom Project, Cinnnamon, Antwerp, BE
2019 TWENTYFORSEVEN, academiegalerie, Utrecht, NL
2018 Sky is one, ground is zero, Allard Wildenberg Art Projects, Naarden, NL
2018 Soft?, Gallery Sophie van de Velde, Antwerp, BE
2018 Screw Your Courage To The Sticking Place, Showhouse JayJay, Antwerp, BE
2017 Young Utrecht Delight, Galerie SANAA, Utrecht, NL
2015 Driemensionaal, Galerie Kunstliefde, Utrecht, NL
2014 Licht, Zomerexpo, Gemeente Museum Den Hague, NL
2013 Promise Promise, Frank Taal Galerie, Rotterdam, NL
2013 Exposure, HKU Academy, Utrecht, NL
Art Residencies
2022 CCA Andratx, Mallorca, Spain
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