Marc Kuyper Marc Kuyper works on an oeuvre in which space and lightness meet in an evocative, poetic way.   Marc Kuyper's current work consists of encaustic paintings (beeswax paintings) and large color etchings. The experience of space and color are the focal points in his work, which is also characterized by a direct, austere but also poetic working method. He himself says of his work: I want to two-dimensionalise my life in abstracto, because I believe it increases my grip on life. My art is largely a matter of filtering until the image leaves a lasting impression; a reduction to color, surface, composition: conveying wonder through imagery by charging recognizable shapes, figuration or objects with tension. During the past years my work has been influenced by the landscape and the experience of the landscape. Self-made photographs may be the starting point, or memories in atmosphere of places visited. I often place a figure in such a landscape as some kind of spectator caught by surprise, a chance visitor in a strange, living landscape. Sometimes I leave out this 'witness', and sometimes an isolated element from the landscape, for instance a stone, a tree or a house, acts as a witness. My painting and etching technique is archaic and basic; I distrust the over-finished and over-smooth. Imperfection is often more expressive and can be used consciously. Not as a suggestive detour, but directly. Using materials you feel akin to is also important. Intensifying my relationship to what I make is necessary for achieving an intensive or passionate handling of my subject. One must dare to use pictorial clichés, because space in relation to man does matter. This is the only thing. For this reason, it is okay if the image is theatrical or narrative. It should not be esoteric or romantic.