In 1961, Stekelenburg presented a joint exhibition with Jaap Wagemaker, Jef Diederen, and Theo Wolvecamp at the Stedelijk van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven. Instead of the usual introduction, characteristic statements made by Jan Stekelenburg himself were showcased, recorded during an interview on tape.
“We live in a world filled with an infinite amount of things. It is this lifeworld that I want to capture in my paintings. I always start with real, existing things. But these things also exist within myself, in my imagination.
When I paint them, I give them a part of my imagination, they gain their own insight. (For me, a good painting is always a self-portrait). And so, I believe that my own perception of things becomes visible to others through my paintings. Thousands of painters have depicted their world in this way. I do it in my own way: landscapes, cityscapes, and, in recent years, mainly cars. I am not interested in a car as a means of transport, but rather in its dynamic effect. It has its own essence and is also dominant in our era. Hence why I use the car as a subject, as an everyday medium to express my artistic vision.
I think abstract art is an escape; a lack of understanding of the world around us. While painting, I constantly evaluate what I have done. But it takes months to determine if a painting has succeeded or not. Time is necessary to come to an objective judgement.
The paintings I admire the most: The Battle of San Romano by Paolo Uccello displayed at the Tate Gallery, and the Pieta by the Master of Avignon.
In my opinion, a critic should be honest about what they feel and what they don’t, but they should always explain why. If they can’t do that, they’d be better off keeping quiet.”
www.ftn-books.com has the RUEB gallery publication now available.
