q)Please introduce yourself.
a)In 1981 I was born in
the south part of the Netherlands. I studied photographic design at
the Academy of Arts and Design St. Joost in the Netherlands. Along the
way, I developed my skills and since 2002 I work
under the name HANDIEDAN as a Amsterdam based self-employed artist, (web)designer,
illustrator, flash
animator and
photographer.
q)Where do you live and work?
a)Amsterdam
q)How would you
describe your work
to someone who has
never seen it?
a)My art work is a cut
and paste mixture
of patiently composed collages on paper and
photo montages all
washed together with
the computer in an aesthetically pleasant
and intuitive playful way.
I use classic pin-ups
and other elements like
old yellowed sheet
music, old fashioned
playing cards,
Chinese papers and
stamps, old money,
elegant curls, old
wood, rusty metal
and other old stuff I
gather on the street,
flea markets or find in
old boxes on the attic.
To combine the old
images with my
hand-dawn little
girly doodles, scratches
like happenings by
purpose I try to
distort the carefully
placed elements and
makes the design lively
and create a
newfangled
amalgamation of
imagery.
q)How did you start
in the arts? How/when
did you realize you
were an artist?
a)Creativity skipped
my parents generation.
My grandfather, my
cousin and me were
the only ones in the
family who shared
their passion for
drawing. My
grandfather worked
as a shoe designer
in The Netherlands
and Paris and my
cousin now is a
graphic designer.
At the age of five
till eight I was
always drawing and
I loved to join my
grandfather in his
pension hobby
workshop at home.
We worked together
in the workshop in
silence for hours:
He behind his desk,
making handmade
wooden model
ships and me sitting
on the ground painting
and wondering
about the finest
details and the
patience my grandpa
works with. I liked
this so much and
felt I wanted to do
that too.
In the mean time
my 9 year older cousin
went to art school.
So he was also a
big inspiration for
me and I alway asked
him to show his
portfolio or wanted
to draw together
with him when we
visited the families
on Sundays.
At the age of 17 I
went to the Academy
of Art and Design
myself and developed
my skills
and passion
for drawing,
photography and
creating with the
computer. After
Art school I start
working as a designer
for a company for 3
days a week, but after
a year working over
there I felt like
working for myself.
I start creating free
work in the after
hours and after a
couple of years it
developed this in
the way that I can
make a living of it.
q)What are your
favorite art materials
and why?
a)My black ink pen
and normal blue
ballpoint. When
you work with
these materials
you wont be able
to retouch any line,
so it has a very
impulsive, direct
or sketchy look.
q)What/who influences
you most?
a) -Old artists like
Pablo Picasso,
Salvador Dali and Michaelangelo.
Also the French
artists are a very
important inspiration
for me. The French
artists just have a
different kind of stile
which I like very
much!
- Collected design, illustration and all
sorts of creative
books and
magazines.
- Furthermore I get
a lot of new inspiration
and energy by
traveling. The big
city with its own live,
each with different
energy, people and
culture. For example;
Berlin, Paris and
Shanghai have a
big influence on
my work. But also
the big open like
New Zealand where
you find time for
yourself and nature.
q)Describe a typical
day of art making
for you.
a)Working at my
atelier at home in Amsterdam, creating
and designing with
the computer.
Combine this with
drawing doodles
and ink sketches
on white paper and
yellowed sheet music
sitting on the ground
of my atelier. Wash
old paper and going
out on the street
collect interesting
old stuff for my mixed
media works and to
scan for using it
on the computer.
q)Do you have goals, specific things you
want to achieve with
your art or in your
career as an artist?
a)My dream is to
live from my art
and being able to
travel through my
art. So I can do the
two things I love
most.
q)What contemporary
artists or developments
in art interest you?
a)The diversity
you find in today’s
art. Different media
all mixed together.
Very inspirational.
q)How long does it
typically take you
to finish a piece?
a)Hard to say.
Sometimes it takes
a couple of days
even to develop
a new design with
the computer,
sometimes only
one day. After I
finished designing
in the computer I
have the basis part
of my artwork and I
can start creating
mixed media works
on paper, wood and
zinc. Mostly one or
two days working
on this phase.
q)Do you enjoy
selling your pieces,
or are you
emotionally attached
to them?
a)I enjoy selling my
works. This means
that people like it
and appreciate what
I create. But it is also
hard to say goodbye
to my piece, because
I indeed get
emotionally attached
to it. But the idea that
the new owner is
very happy with it
and will able to
enjoy the work at
his private space
makes me feel good.
And it also is great
to have all the artworks spread over the
world instead of
having them all over
here in my atelier!
q)Is music important
to you? If so, what
are some things
you're listening
to now?
a)I can’t work without
music and listen to
all kind of different
music. One day I
listen to classic,
the other day electro,
and another day I
like to listen to
new never heard experimental music.
q)Books?
a)Collected design, illustration and all
sorts of creative
books and magazines.
And I love science
books about molecules
and stuff!
q)What theories or
beliefs do you have regarding creativity
or the creative process?
a)It is a continuously experiment with
the interaction of
different materials
and techniques,
grow and
development,
through fascination
and curiosity and
interest.
q)What do you do
(or what do you
enjoy doing) when
you're not creating?
a)Traveling, Hanging /
going out with friends, family. Going into
town or nature.
Reading
q)Do you have any
projects or shows
coming up that you
are particularly
excited about?
a)Online solo show
at Phone Booth
Gallery in December
2009 - www.phoneboothgallery.com
Solo show at
Museum of Porn in
Art in Zürich 18.09.-15.10.2009 - www.porninart.ch
q)Do you follow contemporary art
scenes? If so, how?
What websites,
magazines, galleries do
you prefer?
a) www.juxtapoz.com,
q)Ask yourself a question you'd like to answer, and answer it.
a)-
q)Any advice for aspiring artists?
a)Love what you do and do what you love.
q)Where can we see
more of your work
online?
www.flickr.com/photos/handiedan
