Ad Arma

Inspiration

A great source of inspiration for Arma is ‘presence’. In daily life one can experience a lot of diversity. The differences between personalities, nature and animals are very obvious. However, what makes the difference is only subjective and caused by the environment in which these creatures exist. Every stone, every plant, every animal and every human being is subject to constant change. All things undergo the process of birth, growth and decay. The thing they have in common is an existence, a period between appearance and disappearance. That’s why according to Arma ‘being present’ means ‘being alive’. The presence is reflected in his art by the long, narrow figures which are placed in a landscape.

Style

Arma creates his figures without any details. They suggest an association with humans, but they don’t necessarily have to be human figures. They are often displayed with only a few black stripes. The figures are not the only objects in the etching. Each print is full of strange creations that appeals to the imagination. It is noteworthy that Arma only reflects the contours of his objects. Usually, these are created with only a few strong lines, but sometimes the lines are so thin, it makes the figures disappear in the background. The scenic atmosphere of the etchings are obvious, lines and colours give the strong impression of mountains, rivers and skies. Arma doesn’t present nature as a static state, he presents her as a living organism. The artist depicts a nature that is constantly changing. The energetic method is shown in his work, this can be seenin the furious scribbles alongside subtle lines and bright colours next to vague shades of blue and grey. Arma deliberately leaves room for interpretation. Sometimes he forces the viewer to take a specific position in front of the work and other times he rarely shows the horizon in the image so that as a result the viewer must determine the position himself.

Technique

The dynamics of the etchings reflects the energy Arma puts into them. He emphasizes that especially the process of creation inspires him, not only the final result. The artist enjoys all the opportunities that the etching technique offers. There are many ways to provide lines and spaces with the etching technique that ultimately make the drawing. Usually, etchings are created by corrosive effects of acids, but the dry-point technique and engravings are also considered to be an etching technique. With the dry-point technique the lines are scratched into the plate. Arma applies the technique very roughly and sometimes lets the acid corrode long enough so holes appear in the metal. This makes unique pieces of art!