Artist Peter Bastiaanssen studied at the St. Joost academy in Breda, The Netherlands, where he completed his studies in 1987. Thereafter, he moved to Barcalona before settling in Rotterdam. The city where he still lives and works.
When you lay your eyes on the work of Bastiaanssen for the first time, you are instantly flooded by the feeling of cheerfulness. And if the world can use one thing nowadays its a dose of happiness. Will this save the world? We don't know, but in a world where cheerful thinking is the standard, the world will become a more pleasant world to live in. During the day Bastiaanssen works on his artworks; carrying out physical manual labour. In the evening he reads philosophy books, figuring out theories devised by Deleuze, trying to understand what he means with the term 'New Thinking'.
One of the main concepts established by Deleuze is that one should not look for the essence, deeper ior concealed meaning of things, therefore also not of art. Art should confront us by showing us things that are so close to us that we can't see it anymore. Through this you can discover the depth of the surface.
Characteristic for the artworks of Peter Bastiaanssen are the happy colours and the presence of a little black dog with bead eyes. In his artworks de artist focusses among other things on the dogmas and communication systems within the western society and specifically in the artworld. Peter Bastiaanssen questions art that you constantly have to think about, while no visual quality can be detected.
Hide extended description
