Beeldbrug episode 8: Tonnie Heijdra and Christina de Korte
Art-that-can-not-be-described-without-describing-what-the-participant-does. This term, coined by Tonnie Heijdra, is a recurring theme in her work. This term was brought to life to fill the gap in the vocabulary which is used to describe art. The bright colors, the importance of interaction, and the stereotypes that exude a certain kind of emptiness, are important elements in Tonnie’s work. Her work is particularly suitable to be connected to other artists in all kinds of disciplines.
The talkshow FAUX, with which Tonnie graduated this summer, shows the emptiness in the media. The work showcases a game between what we consider the truth and what we do not. Tonnie grasps the power to decide her own reality. A painter who also focuses on portraying her own reality is Katherine Bernhardt. In her work she uses elements from daily life, just like Tonnie, and composes them in large paintings or on locations in the public space. All kinds of elements of different areas and layers of the current society are being brought together in her work, like the cartoon Garfield, popsicles and the Coca-Cola logo.
Both artists use universal logo’s, bright colors and humor to depict their fascinations and ideas. Everyone can recognize something in the works of both artists. The awkward silences in FAUX, the film made by Tonnie, or in the tropical fruit in combination with toilet rolls in Katherine’s work. Both should in principle be able to be described without the term ‘art-that-can-not-be-described-without-describing-what-the-participant-does’, but then a large portion of the content would be left out. This term should not only be used for installations and performances like those by Tonnie, but also for other disciplines. The phone number that Tonnie created to speak about this subject, is something everyone should consult.
You can find the phone number in the last image.
written by Christina de Korte
sources:
https://www.xavierhufkens.com/artists/katherine-bernhardt
https://2020.exposure.hku.nl/portfolio/5398907/tonnie-heijdra