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ONZIJN*
Marianne Goudswaard
* Onze means eleven in French, an onzain is a poem in eleven lines. In 1983 drs. P introduced the onzijn In the Netherlands.
In the Netherlands, eleven is called the “crazy number” because it can only be divided by itself and falls between the perfect number ten and the holy number twelve. Eleven is the odd one out; it represents deviation. In Japan, this concept is described as the elusive beauty of imperfection. On the border between beautiful and ugly, the frayed edges, that's where images become interesting.
ONZIJN by Marianne Goudswaard is an art collection that includes photography, drawings, three-dimensional, and digital works, created in series of eleven. Imperfection and vulnerability are central themes. The works are created intuitively, responding to previous works and photos. Fragile materials such as thin tissue paper, eggshells, leaves, mushrooms, and feathers express vulnerability. The crumpled paper, when unfolded, forms an imperfect canvas for black or white ink, creating spontaneous patterns that echo river deltas, mountain ranges, airflows, and even human anatomy.
The process of drawing and creating these natural patterns is relaxing and develops in an organic flow. The goal is to deepen understanding of nature, her processes, and patterns—learning from both the natural world and the work that spontaneously emerges within this flow. To have no clear-cut idea in advance creates rest and space, which gives enormous creative freedom.
Left to right: Nothing I Neuron I Cortex I Purkinje
black and white ink on silk tissue paper.
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