Finding some
studios and their artists isn’t always a breeze, but once I had found a large
and obviously empty building that looked like a perfect space to house a
furniture designer, I knew I was on the right track. Previously a warehouse for
kitchen supplies, the building is now totally empty, except for the presence of
four artists who have made personal studios out of the space within it. One of
these is Arjan Portengen; also known as ‘De Houtmagiër’ (Wood Magician).
The revolving entrance door to the building had to be unlocked in order
to let me in and opened out onto an enormous interior space of concrete floors,
large high windows and a motionless escalator to the upper level. As we walked
through it towards Arjan’s studio of six years, the abandoned feel of the
building, reminded me of the atmosphere in the film ‘Escape from NY’ starring
Kurt Russell.
The building
is one of a multitude of properties managed by Ad Hoc (www.adhocbeheer.nl) a
nationwide company responsible for vacant buildings. These are rented out, for
a token monthly payment, until such a time as the property is reused or
demolished. The tactic is to prevent vandalism and break-ins, so often
prevalent in empty buildings.
‘Ribbenkast’ (Ribs cupboard) by Arjan Portengen
Once
ensconced on a large sofa with a cup of coffee I asked Arjan what led him to
becoming the wood magician and furniture designer. In reply, he said that for
him, old furniture has always had more soul than new and many of his pieces
have started out life as an object thrown away on the street, by a previous owner.
This interest in furniture and bric-a-brac in turn has led him develop his
signature style by creating a new object, by way of a collage of both new and
old elements, which at the finish becomes a completely new piece of furniture
in it’s own right. Most of the time he already has an idea in his head to start
with and this is translated into a sketch, but as with most sketches, the idea
evolves as he works. He coupled his interest in furniture with a study, where
he trained as a furniture maker for a year and a half, thereby learning the
basics of furniture construction, the rest (in his words) came from him and has
resulted in what he makes today.
In a lot of
his work there lies a conceptual joke, cupboards dance or take on a new form or
life of their own. For example, there is the ‘Ribbenkast’ (Ribs cupboard), a
white skeletal spine-like construction supporting a series of draws, of varying
sizes, at intervals along its length. The skeletal spine symbolizes death and
the draws represent memories. Each draw is individual and brightly coloured. In
this case (which is an exception to his general colour use), it is a reference
to the Mexican traditional use of vibrant colours and their intense relation
with the dead, particularly during the annual ‘Day of the dead’ celebration.
De
Dansende Kast !! - “It takes two to
tango”
When asked about influences in his work, he says he tries (hard though it
is) not to be influenced by external influences and if he is, it is not done
expressly.
Other than
his creative side and the ‘kronkels realiseren’ (realising the twists of ideas
that present themselves), he is a restorer and carpenter able to make and mend
traditional doors, cupboards and interiors, which he enjoys. At the moment he
is restoring a farm interior and its built-in cupboards, so the creative projects
are temporarily on hold.
I ask him if money and support were no object, what would he like to make here
in Groningen,
to leave his mark? After a bit of thought Arjan came up with two. The first
would be to work his wood magic on the east wall of the City Hall or a whole
room as artwork, with total free licence to do whatever he wanted. The second
came just as I was leaving. To build a tram carriage totally out of wood and in
his inimitable style and attach it to one of the future trams that Groningen will
be getting. I pitch in, that he should work his website address into the side
of the tram too for a bit of publicity! With that the revolving door is
unlocked again, I step out into bright sunlight, take my leave of Arjan and hop
onto my bike in search of some retail therapy at the nearby IKEA.
Studio: Sontplein 4-8, 9723 BZ Groningen
First published in
the Connections magazine #28 Summer
2010Read & download issue here
