Page 142 - Art-Addiction

MeMBraNdt

1953 born in roosendaal, the netherlands
lives and works in dordrecht, hollnad

In mythological times the golden Fleece was the golden fleece of a ram which was considered to be the
most precious object one might possess by the inhabitants on the Black sea, the area where europe and Asia
touch each other. That’s why it was guarded by a dragon. numerous kings and prominent people from the
West (greece) desired this precious treasure from the east. each person makes his own journey to this golden
Fleece: the search for the origins of yourself, as against that which has grown, fused inside you all your life. You
start this journey as an ordinary human being but you can hardly avoid gradually becoming a hero(ine), a Jason,
the greek who with his Argonauts once went in search of his golden Fleece. Membrandt, visual artist from
dordrecht (The netherlands), has been inspired by ‘Fleece’ on her journey. A membrane, a fleece, is a thin parti-
tion. One side may contain a completely different world from the other side. sometimes you can look through
it and yet you can’t reach it. To realize that other, unconscious side, you need courage. But then it appears that
all kinds of things are possible: the beginning of hardening is gentleness; the beginning of rigidity appears to
be flexibility. Through membranes, fleece, you get an insight in creativity, spontaneity and soul, literally and figu-
ratively. The search for a golden Fleece is rewarded with the finding of truth behind visible things. sometimes
a fleece has to be ruptured. The entrance has to be opened up. You think you have found ‘the’ fleece. Behind
one membrane, though, we find another one. An endless row, in search of that one, the ultimate golden Fleece.
Jason, the man, could not have taken possession of the Fleece without the help of Medea, the king’s daugh-
ter from the Black sea. she made the ever-watchful dragon, which guarded the golden Fleece, fall asleep by
giving it a potion. And in the same way we try, with all our might, with Jason, to possess the ultimate fleece, the
ultimate wisdom. Again and again it will appear that we can’t do without Medea. Without her, in whatever guise,
black, yellow, red, blue or green, we would be wise to stop searching. sometimes we see a glimpse of her in our
dreams and she encourages us... (drs. CArOOL POPeLIer, this is a Book oF wisDoM)
BEHINd THE sTrOKE OF THE BrUsH II, 1988 trAnsPArent MeMBrAnes 75 x 56 cM. / 29½ x 22 in. 
 TONIGHT wE sHaVE!, 2002 collAge 112,5 x 90 cM. / 44½ x 35½ in.

138 ARTaddiction