Peter Zuur

The images seem unreal, like everything is resolved in the fluid of a transparent world in which the viewer floats like a ghost which can fall apart by only a gust of wind. Nothing lasts and from what the viewer perceives, only a shadow remains, the residue of an image, a scratched negative. A distant memory.

Zuur finds life uncomfortable. And that discomfort can be found in his imagery and themes. The canvas looks soaked, glued and torn, with spots of colour. The smaller works simply seem like an old piece of paper. However, this is deceiving, the aging of the image is carefully manipulated by the technical modifications of the artist. This brings out the picture like a dream. The image emerges and seems vague, but at the same time is formed precisely and clear.

Zuur has developed his own process. It starts with photography, transferred onto plastic sheets. From the print an etching is made by projecting it in a gum print, then it’s converted into a print and finally this is coloured with liquid oil paint. He uses tippex for the upper layer of white colour and the lines in his artwork are often real wires of sound tape. These are tightly stretched over the surface and sunk deep into the final finishing of a smooth epoxy coating.

Format is extremely important with the artworks of Peter Zuur. The weight of the composition and content in relation to the size is precisely calculated for the desired impact. It is an intuitive act, one where his experience plays a big role.  An artwork of Zuur doesn’t need to be large to be able to generate a big impact. The small panels too are monumental and loaded with tension.