An excerpt from the portfolio of Gert Motmans in 1605 Magazine No.3 Duality

Images: Gert Motmans

Gert Motmans (b. 1972, Hasselt, Germany) is as much a poet as he is a visual artist. Words, thoughts and stories figure heavily in his work, whether explicitly or implicitly. Analogue photography and collage come together in a powerful, newfangled collage of sorts, bringing his internal monologue, his deep and resonant inner voice to the surface in order to connect with his viewers. Motmans’ work is ephemeral yet timeless. He has exhibited at prestige galleries and art fairs around the world.

Duality, it seems, is indelibly etched into Gert Motmans’ work. Figurative and abstract. Then and now. Emotional and aesthetic. His mixed media work walks a delicate tightrope between opposing poles, establishing a clear and nuanced visual language of its own. Collectingis at the core of his approach. Think: postcards or slides, Japanese kozo or simply ideas. Motmans assembles a bank of beautiful, tactile materials before he sets to work weaving his narrative. His own photographs, shot on 35mm film, are just the starting point for the ‘emotional archiving’ he does.

Though Motmans leaves the interpreting and the feeling up to his viewers, a few central themes emerge throughout his oeuvre: the sheer vastness of the natural landscape, the curves and corners of bodily arcs, queer identity and the play of light and shadow. He strives to elicit emotion and immerse in story. His slow, considered approach to making is a rationed push against the pale anonymity of the modern world.