In his work as a whole and in several singular works, abstraction and figuration coexist; this seems an essential part of the artist’s voice.
In his work as a whole and in several singular works, abstraction and figuration coexist; this seems an essential part of the artist’s voice.
The scale is always small to modest. The palette is consistently vivid, less a painter’s palette than that of plastic objects. The surfaces are determined not only by actions and accidents of paint, but by the fact that the support is often ruddy or irregular, scavenged material. Many paintings include figures, quotidian objects, and abstract forms rendered in flat color. There are also animals, words, and a minimally articulated illusion of landscape or interior.
What we recognize in all of Bert Drieghe’s various work is his style, his uniqueness, the sum of his history, his materials, his living room workspace, and the things in his mind at night after a day of work, after being a person in the world.
Emily Farranto
Bert Drieghe works four days a week as an electrician near Ghent. “I make electrical cabinets for industry, such as conveyor belts, mixers, rollers, automation… Just like everything in my life, this certainly has an influence on my paintings.”
Since Bert’s father was also a painter and organized exhibitions, art was always a natural part of his life. Around the age of 16 he already started painting, and by now it has pretty much become his ‘language’.
Bert paints every day. His studio is in his living room, which he shares with his girlfriend and daughter, “hence the small sizes”, he said, also pointing out that he mostly paints on found material.
The artist’s distinct voice floats in the negative space or is wedged between the objects in the paintings. The true subject of this work seems to be the mind of the artist, a mind in a life, trying to make sense of it. In a day of life, we encounter a mash-up of tangible and intangible objects, some clearly perceived, others seen in the periphery, abstracted. A painter, Bert processes all of this in paint.
He wrote: “As always, my life, what I see feel, think…Is my inspiration… Like any sensible person, the world makes me sick, and it’s a pity that history keeps repeating itself… I ask myself a lot of questions about that, but I have to be careful not to go crazy… I may sound gloomy here, but I’m not. I enjoy art, people, life in all its forms. This all probably comes across as very chaotic but that’s how my head works.”
Emily Farranto
Under construction
Under construction
