Rob Birza (1962)
'Talent is something you have to fight against, I find.'* This is the kind of statement that typifies Rob Birza: no interest in what has already been done, not easily satisfied and always looking for new experiences. Initially starting from a mastery of the medium of painting in egg tempera in the early nineteen nineties, the artist has long since abandoned the concepts of clear point of departure and recognisable style. Today, Birza starts with the image he wants to make, then moving through abstract forms, identifiable representations, styles and subjects at a rapid pace. His work is populated by fishes, monsters, gnomes and wild animals, with occasional visitations from the real world.
In the nineteen nineties, Birza painted colourful still lifes, some displayed with a vase placed in front of the canvas. After September 11, 2001, the artist based his work on newspaper reports of the war and tensions in the Arab world. More recently, he has been producing three-dimensional objects. 'The main thing is what you want to make,' says Birza. 'Then you have to go out and find the best way to create it as freely as you can.'**
* H. Den Hartog Jager, Verf, Amsterdam 2004, p. 152
** A. De Visser, De tweede helft, Nijmegen 1998, p. 353
In the nineteen nineties, Birza painted colourful still lifes, some displayed with a vase placed in front of the canvas. After September 11, 2001, the artist based his work on newspaper reports of the war and tensions in the Arab world. More recently, he has been producing three-dimensional objects. 'The main thing is what you want to make,' says Birza. 'Then you have to go out and find the best way to create it as freely as you can.'**
* H. Den Hartog Jager, Verf, Amsterdam 2004, p. 152
** A. De Visser, De tweede helft, Nijmegen 1998, p. 353
