We know Rob Thijssen from his conceptual work: graphs, sets and formulas etched in big steel plates. But he works simultaneously on different series with different subjects, approaches and materials. Over the years, he created self-portraits; mechanical sculptures in used motor oil; sculptures of neckties; paintings and etchings of items from Marktplaats; photo series of Marktplaats advertisements, horizons, trailers; uninteresting places, etc.

For Thijssen, this is not a break with his other work. “As an artist, I allow myself 100% freedom, including the freedom to investigate different subjects. This variation keeps me sharp; I challenge myself: will I succeed in achieving what I have in mind? I cannot stick to one single method – I don’t eat the same thing every day either”.

And now a series of paintings featuring wildly painted figures is on show. They invite you to watch as you would look at clouds: the game of ‘what do you see in this cloud formation’. Occasionally, he fills in something himself to give the viewer a nudge to use their imagination.

In addition, we see steel plates with images of everyday things, etched into the steel with 1-to-1 precision. For him, those plates are a way of recording something without the possibility of changing it: ‘it has been seen and archived.’

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http://www.thijssen-art.nl