Tag: serie

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Enable & Disable

(Nederlandse versie)

Hereby I present my latest artworks to you; ‘Enable & Disable (diptych)

Acrylic on canvas

50 x 50 x 1cm each

2025

Enable & Disable -Enable & Disable - acryl op canvas - 50 x 50 cm- 2025
Enable & Disable – acryl op canvas – 50 x 50 cm- 2025

Enable and disable; these words hold power to switch on or off. Each time we are asked to enable or disable we take a turn in one direction. This trivial action may have implications.

As individuals we sometimes seem and feel powerless but together we can be a force of change, if we choose to.

Sadly, the global unregulated free market in its current form has been proving destructive to the planet but is now endangering our democracies as well.

At the root of every product is a producer, but then there is also, ultimately, a user. We are that users. Without a user a producer is a king without a kingdom, an empty, harmless shell. So what we as consumers do, buy and use matters. We are able to enable and disable. Switch on and off. With every purchase, we enable someone at the end of the line. We are able to make kings rise and fall and disable or enable anyone who can or can’t handle our confidence and saves or steals our future.

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Last Gatekeepers Of Lost Revolutions is shortlisted

(Nederlandse versie)

Wonderful news, my painting ‘ Last Gatekeepers Of Lost Revolutions’ has been shortlisted in the Singulart International Women’s Day 2025 Award!

The jury states that it stands out with its unique perspective on the theme of (female) Bravery.

Last-Gatekeepers-Of-Lost-Revolutions-acryl-op-canvas-beeldende-kunst-Marit-Otto
Acryl op canvas 100/150 cm

About the work itself:
Hovering female figures spreading their arms wide open and floating around. They are jumping and moving simultaneously. They are clearly present and strong. The last gatekeepers is referring to a world where young men, the proverbial sons, are sent to war by other men. This is why, I believe, when women rule, wars will end. No mother in her right mind will ever send her child voluntarily to a war, any war.

Last Gatekeepers Of Lost Revolutions is part of the Metropolitan series and is currently on display in Bruxelles handled by Bernice, Art Rental and Gallery in Temse.


Check this work at; https://www.singulart.com/nl/kunstwerken/marit-otto-last-gatekeepers-of-lost-revolutions-54563

More about the Metropolitan series: https://maritotto.nl/metropolieten-2017-2/

Anxious to hear the final verdict, I’ll keep you posted!

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Sea Of Tranquility

(Nederlandse versie)

Sea Of Tranquility 2025 

Acrylic on canvas 

155 x 90

Part of the Brave New World series

Sea Of Tranquility - acrylic on canvas - 155 x 90 cm - 2025
Sea Of Tranquility – acrylic on canvas – 155 x 90 cm – 2025

This painting features 7 alienated versions of me.

I am not truly at ease with the concept of AI, but as an image creator, I felt the need to know where the future of image creation is heading. So I started my first investigation into AI in Photoshop. 

I used a recent picture of myself and simply instructed the conceptual toolbar: ‘’improve‘’. The result of this one instruction was a bit of horror meets a VR-loving alien. A surprising and baffling introduction to AI, but not really a compliment.

I now imagine that in its eyes, my request for improvement could only lead to something that would visually resemble a physical version of itself, just like the creator who created humankind in his own image. As uncanny as this outcome was, it inspired me to create this canvas on which a more sympathetic version of this raw first artificial draft, times seven, rises from a restless sea of tranquillity. 

What AI made of me
What AI made of me

I thank AI for this inspiration, but I am not sure if I will become a frequent flyer, though; probably I will and without knowing that I do, just like the rest of us. She is beyond us.

I’m not sure our lives will get better with AI and all that it embeds and will encapsulate in the future.

 If it were up to me (it is not), I would rather live life with all its beautiful, natural imperfections and oddities with the certainty of death than become a servant of a perfect faceless system with a poor imagination.

This painting is handmade.

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In Our Nature 2024

(klik hier voor de Nederlandse versie)

Hereby I present my latest painting to you.

In Our Nature – 2024

Acrylic on canvas

70 x 70 cm

Part of the Side show series

In Our Nature 2024- Acrylic on canvas- part of the Side Show series
In Our Nature 2024- Acrylic on canvas- part of the Side Show series

The blue letters on a paper bag smiled at me from the roadside, It has been there for a while, at least a few days. Yet it hasn’t been so long that either the blue is discoloured or the bag half-decayed. It still looks fresh. Next to the bag, scraps of what was probably a burger. A piece of grey matter in yellow-pink goo hangs bloodlessly from a white bag, with green limp lettuce leaves and a sliver of tomato as irrefutable evidence of knowledge of good nutricion. A pair of soulless and limp fries stick out of a bright red cardboard container. A striped straw protrudes triumphantly from a large white cup with plastic cap which combined with the red tray of fainted fries gives a festive look. What a happy meal this must have been. 

Everywhere I look I find these silent testimonies of feeding frenzy that apparently had to take place then and there and that after a big burp of pleasure suddenly became too much. Was it too heavy on the stomach to move what was left just an inch? 

Evidently, that which was picked up, wheeled around and nibbled on full of desire and gluttony had to be disassociated from as soon as possible, immediately in fact. 

Those who love blue letters can move from A to B while scrabbling. Those less fond of it see mostly a correlation.

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Insomnia [a bed piece about bed peace]

(klik hier voor Nederlandse versie)

I hereby proudly present my latest painting to you

Insomnia- [ a bed piece about bed peace ] 2024 – part of the Brave New World series.

Insomnia(a bed piece about bed peace)- Acryl op canvas 155 x 90 cm 2024
Insomnia(a bed piece about bed peace)-Acryl op canvas- 155 x 90 cm- 2024

This canvas took me a while. The messy bedding, duvet and wrinkled sheets forced me to look closely and study what was actually happening there in that fabric. I saw so much detail, hue differences in grey tones, fold lines, creases and bulges that had almost human traits, that there was practically no way out. In the second instance, I chose to leave out a lot of detail again, by erasing it. The turmoil in the image depicts my own turmoil from a while ago. This is my reckoning with that period.

2023- Haunting thoughts kept me awake during a period of 3 months. The thought of haunting thoughts kept me awake. The fear of the thoughts of the haunting thoughts kept me awake and made me anxious to go to bed. 

Tossing and turning, it seemed a never ending attempt to silence my restless heart. Tried [too] hard to ignore noises of wind blowing, cats on roof, a car starting, a street conversation, a train passing, a party in the distance, even the comforting respiration of my man and the snoring of my cat. I hold my heart and belly as my breath is too high up and going too fast. 

My eyes wide shut. 

Hoping to shut the flow of insecure and sad voices within.

A glance at the alarm clock tells me that it’s four AM. 

I scare myself.

All I ever really wanted was peace, peace of mind, peace of heart, bed peace.

and I finally found it,

for now.

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Blue Eyed Blues

(voor Nederlands, scroll naar beneden)

I hereby present my latest artwork, Blue Eyed Blues, to you

Acryl op canvas – 62 x 62 cm 2024

Blue Eyed Blues -acrylic on canvas 51 x 51 cm - 2024
Blue Eyed Blues -acrylic on canvas 51 x 51 cm – 2024

A pile of dishes. A mix of plates, inherited from my grandmother, a Japanese Bowl and a hard plastic watercup accidentally add up to what appears to be a gazing blue eye, that’s wide open and sees all. Could things have souls? According to some they have.

This artwork is part of the Side Show series.

More about the Side Show series: https://maritotto.nl/side-show/

Blue Eyed Blues

Hierbij presenteer ik jullie mijn nieuwste kunstwerk, Blue Eyed Blues.

Acryl op canvas – 62 x 62 cm 2024

Een stapel servies. Een mix van borden, geërfd van mijn grootmoeder, een Japanse kom en een hard plastic waterbakje vormen samen per toeval wat lijkt op een starend blauw oog, dat wijd open staat en alles ziet. Zouden dingen een ziel hebben? Volgens sommigen wel.

Dit kunstwerk is onderdeel van de Side Show series.

Meer hierover: https://maritotto.nl/side-show/

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R.O.T. (Remains Of Today) selections 1 t/m 9.

(voor Nederlands scroll naar beneden)

The selection now covers 9 variations: Red – Black – Yellow- Black 02 – Blue – Black 03, Pink – Black 04 and Green.

Red – Black and Yellow are on display during PROTO, Zwolle in the auditorium of the Stadkamer. PROTO runs from June 26-30, 2024 but the works will stay longer.

More about Remains Of Today: https://maritotto.nl/remainsoftoday/
More about the R.O.T. selections: https://maritotto.nl/r-o-t-selections/

R.O.T. 01 _09 2024 -Remains Of Today 2024.
R.O.T. 01 _09 – Remains Of Today 2024.

(Nederlands)

Inmiddels beslaat de selectie 9 variaties: Red – Black – Yellow- Black 02 – Blue – Black 03, Pink – Black 04 en Green.

Red – Black en Yellow hangen tijdens PROTO, Zwolle in de grote zaal van de Stadkamer. Proto is van vanaf 26 t/m 30 juni 2024 maar het werk blijft langer hangen.

Meer over Remains Of Today: https://maritotto.nl/remainsoftoday/
Meer over de R.O.T. selections: https://maritotto.nl/r-o-t-selections/

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R.O.T. Selections Pink 01, Black 04 & Green 01

R.O.T. Black selection 04-2024
R.O.T. Black selection 04- 2024

Introducing to you: R.O.T. Selections Pink 01, Black 04 & Green 01. Drawn from the Remains Of Today series

I started with a series of small circular made canvases in 2018, and named the small unique works verbals. I created in total 300 verbals by the name of Remains Of Today.

They were presented to you on this platform over time, as single artworks and sets. As I finished this project about revaluing litter and daily remains, I decided to re-order and re-present them. You may regard it as a best off’, sampling the best works in the best possible combinations of 9.

Read all about this project and total installation @ https://www.maritotto.nl/over-remains-of-today/

(NL)

Even voorstellen: R.O.T. Selecties Roze 01, Zwart 04 & Groen 01. geselecteerd uit de Remains Of Today serie

Ik begon in 2018 met een serie kleine circulair gemaakte doeken en noemde de kleine unieke werken verbals. In totaal maakte ik 300 verbals onder de naam Remains Of Today.

Ze werden in de loop van de tijd aan jullie gepresenteerd op dit platform, als losse kunstwerken en als sets. Toen ik dit project over het herwaarderen van zwerfafval en dagelijkse overblijfselen had afgerond, besloot ik ze opnieuw te ordenen en te presenteren. Je kunt het zien als een ‘best off’, een selectie van de beste werken in de best mogelijke combinaties van 9.

Lees alles over dit project en de totale installatie

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R.O.T. Yellow, Black and Red @ expositie Sustainable

(click here for English version)

Vanaf donderdag 14 december is de expositie Sustainable (Duurzaamheid in de kunst) te zien in Galerie de Ploeg, Amersfoort. De expositie is tot 07 januari te bezoeken.

R.O.T. Yellow, Black and Red 2023. Remains Of Today selections - 27 x
R.O.T. Yellow, Black and Red 2023

R.O.T. Yellow, Black and Red zijn voortgevloeid uit mijn project + installatie van Remains Of Today. Dit project/ deze installatie is afgelopen maand (november 2023) afgerond. Het behelst in totaal 300 kleine (30 x 30cm) circulaire kunstwerken van gevonden en hergebruikte materialen en teksten. Remains Of Today heeft op diverse plekken geëxposeerd als een grote – groeiende – installatie. Toen ik de laatste hand er aan legde voelde ik de behoefte om er toch een hele nieuwe benadering op los te laten., een soort van Best Of. Deze best of resulteert in verschillende 9 luiken waarbij gezocht is naar overlap in kleur en de best mogelijke collage van de eerder gemaakte collage composities. De eerste 3 Yellow, Black and Red, worden geëxposeerd tijdens Sustainable 02, in galerie de Ploegh.

De overige deelnemende kunstenaars zijn: Hannah Blom, Boudewijn Korsmit, Adriana Nigting, Sari Piek, Mark van Praagh, Catherine Schoenmaker, Cecile Spronsen, Harry Tomese, Jose van Waarde, Carla Zeegers en Marjan Jaspers.

Duurzame kunst heeft geen vaste regels, maar is eerder een evoluerende en
aanpasbare manier van denken over de betekenis van kunst maken. Het maakt gebruik van gerecyclede en hergebruikte materialen, bijeengeraapte of herwonnen materialen, duurzame materialen en processen, en het werken vanuit een missie van duurzaamheid.

Galerie de Ploegh- Cultuurhuis bij Flint, Coninckstraat 58, Amersfoort

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Flat Earth 01, 02 & 03.

(click here for English version)

Bij deze presenteer ik de drieluik: Flat Earth 01 – Man on the moon 02 Antipodes en 03 Chaos, 2023.

Digitale artprint op Dibond

3 x 100 x100 cm.

De oude Griekse filosofen zeiden al dat de aarde rond was, maar ze hadden geen solide argumenten of bewijzen. Ze reisden niet door de ruimte, noch over de wereld zelf om dat te weten te komen, ze surfden in feite op hun eigen geschoolde hersengolven en dreven op logica.

Tegen de tijd dat Columbus de wereld wilde ontdekken, was de wereldbol weer plat gestreken door de katholieke kerk. Het weerhield Columbus er niet van de grote oceaan over te steken. Zijn bemanning was bang voor het kantelmoment dat hen te wachten stond.

In de 21e eeuw, het tijdperk van google. Niet surfen op hersengolven, maar het net.  Kennis is overal. We reizen over de wereld, het web, de diepzee, de ruimte en binnenkort ook de tijd, maar de vorm van de aarde wordt door sommigen nog steeds betwist….

Interested? check: https://www.singulart.com/nl/kunstwerken/marit-otto-flat-earth-03-chaos-1891255