22 march 2021, Flor Linckens
Mysterious landscapes that defy interpretation
Depictions of landscapes are as old as art itself. Yet some artists still manage to give this genre a new twist, like Dutch artist Marcel Wesdorp. He uses 3D software, cartography, satellite data and topography for his digital landscapes, which he produces both in static and animated forms. This is not as easy as it sounds as the end result is often preceded by time-consuming and complicated calculation processes. Until April 3, his work can be seen in the exhibition "Wandering in a Digital Adventure" in Galerie Helder.
Marcel Wesdorp, Untitled World, 2015, Galerie Helder.
Marcel Wesdorp, Possible Environments ( 478.000 438.418 -181.842), 2020, Galerie Helder.
By choosing to leave out decorative elements such as cattle, houses, vehicles, people and vegetation, Wesdorp leaves room for a sublime experience of the landscape, that, in a way, underlines the insignificance of man. Moreover, it is precisely those details that normally lend themselves to a (symbolic) reading or interpretation of the work. For example, in famous Dutch landscapes from the 17th century, everyday animals such as dogs and cats could symbolise a multitude of meanings, depending on the specific context in which they were displayed. These meanings could vary widely: from vigilance and marital fidelity to cruelty, greed, immorality and lust. By omitting all these elements that lend themselves to interpretation, there is only one thing left: the free interpretation of the viewer. Since there are no visible details to rest your eyes on, your senses are minimally stimulated and you are forced to let the landscape as a whole come over you.
