De Collectie Imaginaire - Anouk Griffioen

Collectie Imaginaire 2011 / 2012:

Participating artists: Amie Dicke, Anique Weve, Anne van Eck, Anouk Kruithof, Diana Monkhorst, Elian Somers, Esther Kokmeijer, Isabelle Wenzel, Johan Nieuwenhuize, Joncquil, Josepha de Jong, Juul Kraier, Katinka Lampe, Louis Reith, Luuk Bode, Marielle Buitendijk, Martine johanna, Monique Benthin, Sipke Visser, Sven Verhaeghe, Thomas Rameckers, V&B

Introduction
Collectie Imaginaire is part of a series of exhibitions commissioned by the society for artists ‘Arti et Amicitiae’ in Amsterdam. Within this series, younger artists (under 35 years of age) are asked to compose their own art collection. They are given the opportunity to show artwork that they dream of owning. Hence the name Collectie Imaginaire (Collection Imaginaire). In December 2011, artist Anouk Griffioen showed her desired art collection at Arti et Amicitae in Amsterdam. She collected 30 beautiful art pieces from the artists she admires.

Whilst meeting the artists, Anouk was more than impressed by their candour and strength with which they represented their work. It inspired her to feature them all in a new series of drawings, a project portraying the artists as the Collectie Imaginaire of Anouk Griffioen.

Collectie Imaginaire
The new project started by visiting all the artists in their studios and making pictures during the conversations. After her visits she made a drawing of the artist and their work using her photos as a starting point.

The figures in her drawings are proud but the large size to which Griffioen blows them up gives them a certain vulnerability. The cool, strong expressions turn to a lost glance. With a combination of thick black lines and thin contours of grey hues Anouk puts her figures on paper. The black charcoal gives the portraits strength and the glamorous graphite glow enhances their photographic character. Their faces hide more and more behind the material or disappear entirely. They blend into the background becoming one with their work or living space. The portraits represent an armour with which Anouk shows us who they truly are.

Anouk Griffioen on the ‘Collectie Imaginaire’: “Collectie Imaginaire stands for a selection of works by different artists I admire and who inspire me. A portrait is confronting, naked and fragile. The drawings I have made don’t show the 23 artists up front, but blend into their background or turning their back to the viewer. The way they stand up, hide their hands, look away and showing their work to me is what makes my portraits.”