In Dutch, the word for voice and vote are one and the same. I’ve thought about this as I’ve silently watched current events change the landscape of the world I thought I knew. Brexit in particular has left me feeling powerless. I live in the Netherlands as the spouse of a British citizen and personally had no vote in this political shifting of tectonic plates. My husband surprisingly also had no say. Because he’s lived outside of the United Kingdom for more than 15 years, he’s excluded from participating in his own country’s elections.

Art is often a form of processing for me, and in the aftermath of the original Brexit vote, I started drawing. I was angry, like so many people who turn to protest art. But I also struggled against hopelessness. The act of creating, whether it influences others or simply satisfies the self, is at least active. I opened the Pandora’s box of my pencil tin and let anything and everything fly. By doing that, I released the little glimmer of light that was buried underneath the fury. I make, therewise, I can.

For these reasons, I’m glad they organised a topical group show at NDSM FUSE, Bureau Brexit. I’ve submitted two pieces.

There is no place like home

The first artwork is a screenprint, There is no place like home. The main graphic was originally created for Litographs and became a best-selling temporary tattoo. The quote is from one of my favourite books and the original American fairy tale, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The background screen is a dot matrix collage of maps of places I’ve visited or lived. It’s a pro-globalist statement in a world that is inching increasingly towards closed borders and isolation.

Torn (witte zwanen, zwarte zwanen)

This is an original ink drawing that I’ve recently refined and adapted from a notion that gripped me a couple of years ago. There’s an old Dutch nursery rhyme, chanted while children are playing a game very similar to London Bridge Is Falling Down. The lyrics are eerily prophetic, and I often recited them while riding my bike through the city.

White swans, black swans,
Who wants to sail with us to England?
England is closed.
The key is broken.
And is there no blacksmith in the country who can fix our key?
Go forth! Go forth!
The one who is behind must pull ahead.

English translation of Witte Zwanen, Zwarte Zwanen by yours truly.

Can you see that little spark of hope I found at the bottom of my pencil box? The two columns of words and picture are torn, like we’ve taken leave of rhyme or reason. But I believe we can pull ahead – or even rise above this mess and fly away.

This piece planted the seed for a larger art project that I’m just beginning, filled with black swans and thoughts about migration, but I’ll leave that for my next blog entry. Until then, see you at the opening?

Bureau Brexit
10 January – 1 March, 2020
Opening 10 January, 17.00-22.00
21 artists react to Brexit. We offer an immersive experience to support visitors in times of confusion. People are encouraged to ask questions, observe, relax, participate, express their feelings, and find humor in our exhibit.

NDSM FUSE
NDSM-plein 85, 1033WC Amsterdam
Gallery Hours: Thursdays – Sundays 12.00-18.00

Both artworks are for sale. There is no place like home prints are available through our Therewise ETSY shop. To purchase the original Torn (witte zwanen, zwarte zwanen) ink drawing with frame, contact me.