Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine

Studio Visit: Christian Rex van Minnen Breaks Down His Layered Oil Painting Process

Christian Rex van Minnen's paintings (featured in HF Vol. 25) are painstakingly laborious. The artist uses the techniques of the Northern Renaissance masters to paint tripped-out portraits and still lifes where his subjects devolve into bulbous, tumor-like lumps of flesh and organic matter. While Van Minnen's work is commonly interpreted as being about deformity, when we visited the artist's studio in Brooklyn a few weeks ago, he discussed the conceptual underpinnings of his creative process. Take a look at our photos from Van Minnen's studio after the jump.

Christian Rex van Minnen’s paintings (featured in HF Vol. 25) are painstakingly laborious. The artist uses the techniques of the Northern Renaissance masters to paint tripped-out portraits and still lifes where his subjects devolve into bulbous, tumor-like lumps of flesh and organic matter.

While Van Minnen’s work is commonly interpreted as being about deformity, when we visited the artist’s studio in Brooklyn a few weeks ago, he discussed the conceptual underpinnings of his creative process. Of Dutch heritage himself, Van Minnen pointed out the connections between the works of the Northern Renaissance masters and the colonial politics of the era. The grotesque elements of his work, rendered in this timeworn style, signal at the insidious effects of European colonialism and the death, destruction, and racism that it engendered.

Work in progress

Van Minnen skillfully paints off-putting details in visually alluring ways. He has developed a unique technique for rendering tactile-looking, sumptuous textures. For his latest work, Still Life with Diary Entry and Diabetes, the artist began by creating a monochromatic underpainting while leaving the white of the canvas exposed for certain figures. As he built up layers of oil pigment to create 3D-looking shapes, he achieved a neon glow that made certain, gummy candy-like shapes appear to pop off the canvas. One of his most ambitious paintings to date, “Still Life wtih Diary Entry and Diabetes,” will debut at Gallery Poulsen’s upcoming group show, “Blaze of Glory,” opening on June 13. Take a look at our photos from Van Minnen’s studio to get some insight into his process.

Work in progress

Left to right: Underpainting, Work in progress

Meta
Share
Facebook
Reddit
Pinterest
Email
Related Articles
Oil painter Carrie Ann Baade says that her work “quotes from, interacts with, and deeply relates to art history.” Her absorbing, often haunting paintings often carry notes of Baroque or Renaissance art that are pulled into the artist’s own surrealist and autobiographical sensibility. The works can have a sense of controlled chaos to them, each element executed with elegance. She was last featured on HiFructose.com here.
In Chris Austin's surreal paintings, the overlooked giants of the ocean make their way across landscapes and suburban settings. His recent show with Antler Gallery, titled “Unfamiliar,” offered new work from the artist, who often focuses on the elegance and plight of nature and its inhabitants.
Painter Peter Ferguson returns to Roq La Rue Gallery with "Skip Forward When Held," bringing his sensibility that blends notes of the Dutch Renaissance, Lovecraftian creatures, and more. The show, running through January 25 at the space, brings new oil paintings to the space. Ferguson was last featured on our site here.
Natalie Featherston’s realistic oil paintings deceptively appear as mixed-media collages, as she faithfully renders the textures of each element of her source. She builds each of the collages that serve as a basis for her paintings, and she says the former part of the process is just as a fun as the latter.

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List