L I G H T  A N D  S I L E N C E
	Dances with chance I have known a music student who was very fond of a particular piece of music. He practiced it every day for several hours, and little by little his performance became better and stronger. Then one day, he heard that music being performed in such a perfectly clear and beautiful way, that he realized he could never play it like that. He stopped practicing and instead he listened to it every day. His eyes followed the music along the keys, but he never played it again. That student crossed my mind when I discovered that the forms that I could think of seemed to be much weaker than those that originated under my hands without any intention. In a mess of blots and stains I discovered small islands of accidental order that seemed to express what I am searching for, which has to do with light and silence, vulnerability, disconnection of time and place, peace of mind. After a while, I started to look for them as you would look for shells along the shore. I found many, and thought they were perfect. Unlike that unhappy student, it did not paralyze me. Yes, they were beautiful, but their mere perfection somehow made them seem cold and distant. I missed the clumsiness of the preconceived form, in which we flounder to express our love. And I missed colour too, that kiss of the sunrise. These two, I add. It is wonderful, I try to do nothing special. A good connection is all that matters, it feels like a dance. Chance is leading, I am following. Pauline van de Ven
	# Biography # Expositions: 2011 International Contemporary Artists, by Camaver Kunsthaus, Milan, September 10-25 >> 2009 Dutch contemporary artists, Saatchi Opera Art Gallery, Budapest, March 14-28 >> 2007 Prentkunst, Waanders, Zwolle (NL), September # Older work: 1987-2010 1987