Bart Drost

During his studies at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam (1981-1983) Bart Drost discovered 'bitumen paper'.  A material that was used in the roofing world. It was cheap, sold to the role, strong. For Drost it turned out to be a great surface to work quickly. Drawing became painting. Initially with jet black - later Indian ink - gesso and acrylic paint. This fast painting is always a 'coming home' for Drost. No chance to think, take the freedom to intervene. Since 1997 Drost has also painted on canvas.
Monochrome, colorful, oil paint or acrylic, from small to large.

In april 2012 Bart Drost together with hisChinese friend Xiaoming Xia made a brief trip to his homeland. In theexhibition 'going home', specially created for students of the Art & DesignDepartment of the XiamenTan Kah Kee College does Drost report of this trip,which is peppered with stories from the childhood of both himself and XiaomingXia. A 'going home' in two respects: the Chinese friend is looking for his homeplace, Drost serves again the way of painting in which his career has started.The result are 18 black/white paintings (220x85cm), 23 color paintings(110x85cm), 23 pen drawings (15x10cm) and 1 shortmovie.

'Das Glashaus' is an artists initiative located right in the Centre of Düsseldorf. Artists are invited for two weeks to make an installation in these public greenhouse. Bart Drost made an installation with five Silk cloths, on which he painted in black acrylic the characters of five swimming/falling guys.

back to archive

Contour lines are decisive in Drost's paintings. In the - one-time - series 'just figure it out' he avoids these lines and makes the images consist of only smooth surfaces.

acrylic on canvas

oil on canvas

Oil on canvas, 160x160 cm.

All blue canvassas were cut into three pieces in 2017 and turned into folding screens.

In 1991 Drost starts painting on canvas. Initially monochrome. He draws with Indian ink on canvas and then works wet-on-wet with orange acrylic paint.

'Back to the Source' refers to Bart Drost's place of birth: Venlo. But it also refers to the source of most of his work: the drawing. The paintings on bitumen paper he exhibits are so to speak coloured drawings; inklines quickly put on paper, austere and spontaneous. The enormous size of the paintings (210x210 cm) intensifies their clarity en presence. One step further are the objects sawn out of multiply, that seem to 'walk' straight out of the paintings.

In 1985/1986 Bart Drost made 36 paintings on bitumen paper, 220x100 cm. As much of his work  these paintings together also formed 'a series'. Ton Berends, former gallery owner of Nouvelles Images in The Hague wanted to show in his gallery the installation 'for my youngest son', which in 1986 was developed for the small church of Persingen. "Only if also the series 'I did'nt do anything' will be shown," was the answer of Drost. So it came to pass. All 36 paintings were hanged in the Gallery. To the displeasure of the gallery owner: there were too many and ' too many= not marketable. " That is shown.

Of the exhibition are no photos remained. The pictures above are recordings from Drosts Studio.

In 2021 the 36 p[aintings were shown in the installation 'paintings in heaven' at Hubert, Nijmegen.