J. Pouwels

 

Artist Statement

 

My paintings and drawings are a reflection of my experiences having lived in a variety of different countries around the world and how that affects my definition of place and home.  When I return to New Zealand from my current residence in Chico, CA I no longer feel familiarity with the history, landscape or experiences associated with my place of birth.  Instead, as in other places, the lines between being an spectator or contributor get blurred.  In my work I look for connections to the millions of other people displaced by virtue of their own actions as a way to explore the concept of identity.

 

My work looks at opposing interpretations of the same event as it relates to the international nature of our contemporary experiences in the 21st Century.  One point of view is that of the Participant and the other is from the vantage point of the Observer.  References to water come from having spent my formative years living on an Island nation and  I use these images as the main information to drive the narrative in my recent works.  As symbols they help me to analyze and organize this complicated relationship I have with my surroundings as well as the people I share it with.

 

Both situations, displacement and isolation, fall under the rubric of identity.  I consider life as a white male, struggling with identity in a world that many believe has been tainted by the White Male.