Potato conversation
Simone Distler

(Oil on canvas, 2010, 40x60cm)

Welcome to Artborne...

...the website of the married Art couple
Gian Merlevede and Simone Distler

Some update...

Simone is in her third year at art college now.
´Potato conversation´ (see above) belongs to a series of oil sketches around the theme of vegetables, she made in her first year.
In her second year she continued painting, and began making a series of graphics. Using photos and sketches made in and around our house. Scenes from our windows, looking passed fences and unto our neighbours. Making pictures and graphical work that - rather occasionally - seemed to focus on the theme of ´uprootedness´. Rather coy reflections on the psychological dynamics of adaptation. New settlers we were. New settlers we are. Newcomers in a small village loaded with time and history.  


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Gian´s painting below is the first of a series called "The Dark Throne".
It carries the same title: 'The Dark Throne'.
These paintings reflect on an 'encounter' Gian experience with the Father some years ago.

So the theme speaks about the God-of-Israel purposely frustrating our degraded "christian" views on Him.
God the Creator and Father of man is not afraid to put us to the test.
Keeping strangely silent while we cry out to Him, stumbling around in agony and distress; even across his very throneroom...
It´s like He sometimes deliberately puts us "on hold", refusing to answer or comfort us in any way.
Till we crumble and the real quality of our heart is revealed to us in a fresh way, and we finally 'see through' what was blinding us all along.
Getting a purified understanding of what his Heart is really like ...
What seemed like some kind of a cruel test, in the end was for our best.

March 2011 the second painting within that series was finished. It was given a title in German: "Kraft - schöpfen", which is hard to translate (suggestions on this from native speakers are welcome ;-) 
The German word "Kraft" means Energy/Capacity/Force/Fortitude, while the word "schöpfen" is a verb with multiple meanings: 1) to ladle / to spoon, 2) to derive, 3) to create (ex nihilo).
Like mentioned above, the theme of "the dark throne" deals with the Father frustrating our dumb views about Him. A test meant to empower us.
A test we have to fail... but after all is said and done, we are in a new way levelling with Him!
A bit less "religionizing" God, and a step further into truthfully (and thus fruitfully) relating to Who He really is: The respectable Judge and the loving Sheperd!
A re-creating act really.

Spring 2012 Gian is taking on the next two paintings in this series.

The dark throne
Gian Merlevede

From the series "The dark throne"
(Acrylics on canvas, June 2007 - June 2010, 100x150cm)

Recalibration
Gian Merlevede

From the series "The dark throne"
Originally the title is in German: "Kraft-Schöpfen"
(Acrylics on canvas, March 2007 - March 2011, 100x150cm)


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You can view this painting if you happen to be near the German city Würzburg!
For any appointment, contact me.