LET THE MAGIC BEGIN

The paintings of Marlene Dumas need your undivided attention. If not, they may be insignificant to you. If so, you couldn’t be more wrong! Magic happens when you just look at those eyes a tiny little longer…

With almost two hundred drawings and paintings from private and museum collections throughout the world, Marlene Dumas’ – “The Image as Burden” is the first major solo exhibition in The Netherlands in 20 years. The title of the exhibition is derived from the work “The Image as Burden” (1993), which refers to the conflict between the painterly gesture and the illusion of the painted image.

There is something magical happening when you’re looking at some paintings of Marlene Dumas. When you take a little more time to watch one of Marlene Dumas’ work, the portraits become alive. Move around the painting, see what is does. Facial expressions change from angry to indignant, from confident to uncertain. Dumas accomplishes this by bringing some blur in the paintings. Realistic painters can only show generally one facial expression. So that’s what makes her work so special.
Another great thing to perceive is the various painting techniques Dumas uses in one work. The hazy, fleeting brushwork alongside the sharp edges makes the work dynamic. The best way to see all this is to experience it yourself. The exhibition is open for public untill 4th of january 2015 in Amsterdam.

“You should not look first for something familiar in a work, you should perceive it  as a dance of a hand on paper. A drawing is the fastest means of expression between mind and hand.” 
– Marlene Dumas

Marlene Dumas: The Image as Burden 6 sep 2014 – 4 jan 2015
Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam