‘Marja van Putten is a passionate painter’

The passion is recognizable in all her paintings. It is not only the choice of subjects, but also how she uses the material. The material and the subject matter match in each of her paintings as a key to its lock. The cross-linking of material and subject is often contagious and carried through to the absurd.

The material on her canvases consists not only of all kinds of paint in one painting, but also of colored fabrics, beads, buttons etc. She has built up a large collection of textiles and yarns from which she can choose. There is a wide variety of subjects in her paintings, but always that characteristic way of using the materials. The brush is regularly replaced by the drill, construction glue or needle and thread. The cross-linking of material and subject has become increasingly stronger over the years. There are paintings with a sculpture-like character, with thick layers of paint in different materials, but also very transparent painted works. In both, the viewer wanders around as in an adventurous journey through unprecedented landscapes or mysterious spaces in which her characters try to keep themselves standing. The approach to the subject is different in every painting. Fascinating and confusing at the same time.

The passion in the work of Marja van Putten is an adventure for the viewer, One has to go into it. An adventure awaits.

You experience her work best coming close to them. Pictures of Marja’s works relate to the real work as a photograph of a plate with food to a real dinner.

Vera de Groot 2013