Thijs Jansen

Thijs Jansen’s figurative works are surreal and dream-like in their content and form. The artist approaches his paintings as a kind of diorama or stage—an imaginary space where he can direct and change details to evoke a mood or set an atmosphere. The starting point of Jansen’s paintings are fragments of memories and subconscious experiences in specific public spaces which he cleverly isolates and recreates into novel spatial compositions. Whether portraying a kitchen counter or an aisle of the grocery store, Jansen’s works are full of whimsy, illusion and emotion.

Jansen’s canvases present a contemporary take on genre painting, where the theme of everyday human existence is depicted in an ironic and ambiguous way. His subjects, often seemingly banal or even provocative, are pictured in a way that ‘the ordinary’ is transcended. Jasen portrays this everyday existence in a setting known as the “modern void”, a term coined by Camiel van Winkel. This void can be experienced in a provincial shopping center, the frayed edges of a housing estate or an abandoned playground. In Jansen’s paintings, however, it is not literally adopted one-to-one. He is not concerned with direct perception as a goal, but more importantly with the image or associated memory that has remained with an imprint in his consciousness.

I his most recent works, Jansen plays with the canvases directly, by turning the painting surfaces on their sides at 45 degrees. The result is an exciting abstract play of form that offers a powerful formal counterweight to the descriptive, almost anecdotal representation of space. Jansen involves the viewer directly in these paintings with his compelling, playful compositions. He believes that viewers are partly responsible for what is seen within a work and is constantly looking for a balance between illusion and projection. This results in an image that is more layered and ambiguous than the original subject suggested.

Overall, Jansen’s works are marked by a certain emptiness. A vacancy which can be felt through that which is not depicted or is only partially represented. It is precisely that which is missing from his worlds (usually the human figure, or an actual event, action or statement) that creates the captivating atmosphere. Jansen’s works are enchanting in their ominousness. 

Jansen (b. 1986 NL) lives and works in the Netherlands. He attained his MFA at the Frank Mohr Instituut in Groningen in 2008-2010 and attended the Academie Minerva in Groningen in 2004-2008. He also attended the California College of the Arts in San Francisco in 2007. His work is included in important collections including the Drents Museum in Assen and the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden.