Ron Mandos

Ton of Holland

16 Sep - 27 Oct 2007

© Ton of Holland
Dirty Dishes
TON OF HOLLAND
"Dirty Dishes"

16.09.07 - 27.10.07

RONMANDOS Rotterdam is pleased to welcome you to the unique and festive opening of Ton of Holland’s solo presentation. Feel free to drop by to this event, which will take place from 15.00 to 18.00 on Sunday the 16th of September.
According to the philosopher Bauman, modern man has transferred from a ‘solid’ modernity with all its firm certainties to a ‘liquid’ modernity. He describes the radical consequences of decreasing levels of certainty that a globalising society brings. The human ability to make choices is hampered through an excess of choice. Bauman has especial sympathy for sub-cultures that exist in this situation.
The works of Ton of Holland look into the areas where this liquid modernity travels, because without movement, would not all this fluidity just remain stagnant?
‘From my viewpoint as artist, there is a primary need for ‘down to earth’ feeling and for it to manifest itself figuratively, but also literally, as in my latest series of paintings. In these works the loneliness that results from absolute hedonism and sexual pleasure is made acutely visible in forms of presentation that stand at odds with contemporary social conventions.’
Ton of Holland shows the “dirty dishes” of modern subcultures and transforms them into something aspirational.
His paintings are visual combinations of diverse elements that take on poetic relationships with each other. His often melancholic choice of subject matter is infused with dashes of humour and is transformed into something visually alluring. The transparent effect of his embroidery emphasises this: perfection, richness and decadence in image as well as material.
Ton of Holland has taken part in a diverse range of European exhibitions and his work has been purchased by a number of prestigious collections, including the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ING Collection and the Dutch Textiles Museum.