An art-historical classification of the project "Sehnsucht nach Ebene 2" (Longing for level 2)

By Alissa Kleist, College of Art and Design (Extract from the final thesis)
Limerick Institute of Technology, Ireland

However, let us return for a moment to Gablik's quote: “Today the question of community is much debated - not only ‘what’ art is for but ‘who’ it is for” Undoubtedly, Hirst creates his works predominantly for a third party, be it gallery, critic, buyer or viewer. We have examined how this has influenced his work and ultimately erased the artist from the creative journey. Wall’s work stems from a personal interest in the history of art (he studied art history as well as art and design) and bringing this into a social and contemporary context. Their work, as is De Kooning’s, is displayed in galleries and museums. However it is important also to examine the work of an artist who creates work directly benefiting the society which it is aimed at. Marjan Verkerk’s work is displayed in public places, confronting the viewer directly with the issues it addresses. It takes Wall’s The Storyteller out of the gallery and into the public domain.

Verkerk is a Dutch visual artist who lives and works in Amsterdam. Predominantly her work consists of abstract paintings. Landscapes, ranging from Ireland to Turkey, are an important source of inspiration for the artist: “I aim to combine (and merge) many different points of view within a single image. To me, subjectivity is vital as I don’t think an observation can actually be objective or absolute. Perception may change from one minute to the next. In the footsteps of artists like Van Gogh I aim to capture the way light appears to me at certain moments. At the same time I am gripped by obstructions, blockages that mask the truth and interfere with a landscape”.

In addition, she has initiated collaborations with other artists: group exhibitions, multimedia, and scenery for music theatre and short films. The work she does is highly creative but financially not very rewarding. For Verkerk money was never really her objective and any financial difficulties were solved by supplementing her income with painting and decorating, photography and teaching.

Verkerk states that “People buy art in well-known galleries because they are confident that the work is a valuable asset, and likely to appreciate. In galleries you have to act sycophantically and operate within certain parameters. I find that very difficult. Art historian Riet van der Linden once said, as part of a speech at the opening of one of my exhibitions, ‘Marjan Verkerk is not for sale’. That is correct. I have had good working relationships with certain art galleries … but more often than not the owners don’t give me the time of day. They probably think me too obstinate, although that is not said out loud.”

Like De Kooning, Marjan Verkerk in her studio practice engages in an interior dialogue with the outside world. What takes shape on her canvases is a reflection of this process, layer upon layer. Verkerk: “My work does not revolve around certain themes. When I paint, I am mainly preoccupied with colour. I often proceed on the basis of personal memories and observations that I have first recorded through drawings or photographs”. Though her art is largely autonomous, Verkerk has found a way to translate her artistic process into work that engages not only herself, but also the viewer in a way that benefits both parties, a balance that cannot be found in the work of Hirst.

Currently she is collaborating with Milica Reinhart, a Croatian artist on a project called Sehnsucht nach Ebene 2. The project, which began in 2003, focuses on a disadvantaged area of Hagen, a city in Germany. Sehnsucht means longing, nostalgia, and homesickness. Ebene 2 is the name of a road bridge in this area. The bridge is grey and dull and the area it is situated in is run down. Verkerk and Reinhart wanted to give the bridge a new life and re-inject this dull area with some colour, to get Ebene 2’ “to light up its neighbourhood like a multicoloured beacon ‘fuelled’ by memories”.

It was important however that the colours should not be of their own choice. As a result they interviewed women and girls from 42 different nationalities who lived within one square-kilometre radius of the bridge about the colours that they associated with their lives and memories:
“Emotionally, some of them have never really left their countries of origin, but we also talked to young girls who are firmly rooted in western society. Many stories were very impressive”. As a result of these interviews both artists made designs informed by the women’s stories. They will be painted on the bridge in 2008. White neon lighting depicting the word ‘bridge’ in the major languages of those interviewed will be placed in front of the designs so they illuminate the colours at night.

The project sparked a political debate in Germany between those who opposed the project believing it to be a waste of money and those who supported the communication and debate it had begun among people. The bridge became about more than just an art piece. The people, who had been interviewed, often feeling isolated and uprooted, gained a sense of pride and inclusion. The local community actively engaged with the concepts of diversity and stories and plays were written and performed. Verkerk states that she feels the process in her work is paramount. However, she says “When I start there is often a multitude of thoughts that only crystallize gradually into colours, shapes. But in my view it is not necessary to show this process to the viewer”. The bridge is about the people who live around it. It is about process, the journey from the development of the idea to the realisation of such a large scale project and all the struggle and opposition that comes with it. Though not introverted like De Kooning’s work, Sehnsucht nach Ebene 2 still deals with personal feelings, emotions and memories of individuals, displayed to the outside world. Though is in a very public place the bridge is immensely personal, to both the artists and the women who live around it. Sehnsucht nach Ebene 2 is also a monumental work, which will be viewed by hundreds of motorists passing each day. Verkerk does not consider the exposure she might gain as an artist as a result of embarking on this project to be of vital importance: “Of course as this project is more than full-time (so much is going on) it needs to generate an income, but that is entirely different from hyping your work, or your own image as an (individual) artist. I do not object to the latter in any moral sense but I could not work in that way.”

Sehnsucht nach Ebene 2 is an example of how the creative journey of the individual may be applied to a product that does not sacrifice its authenticity by becoming a dispensable commodity.