Dick Swaak (1950)

Dick Swaak studied at the Art Academy Minerva in Groningen. His first creations were works large, deformed, ceramic heads. He abandoned figurative art with bone-shaped ceramic elements, tied together by parchment. Gallery Wit shows his newest creations that emerged from the extreme pointed ends of his earlier ceramic work: over 2 m tall wall objects from clustered, elongated, pointed wooden elements, painted in glossy or matt, fluorescent, or metallic acrylic paint. The different elements refer to vague memories; atmospheres captured in subtly curved, seemingly natural shapes of different length, painted in contrasting colours. Combined into objects placed against a white backdrop they present new contrast and colour schemes when viewed from different angles, seducing the eye to keep wandering.

In addition to various teaching assignments, Dick Swaak gave espositions in, amonmg other places, in the Netherlands (the Drenthe Museum at Assen, the Cultural Center d’Oosterpoort in Groningen, in Gallery De Lange (Emmen), Museum Willem van Haren (Heerenveen), Cultural Center “De Vaart” (Hilversum), Gallery “De Vier Linden” and Cultural Center “De Kolk” (Assen) and, in Germany, in Galerie Bahnhof at Westerstede.

NB the illustrations show work in progress; the definitve combinations of elements under a given title may be different.