Meet the Artist // Christiaan Moll
Christiaan Moll is a lens-based visual artist. He holds a BFA from the Fotoacademie, Amsterdam, which he pursued after a career in international law, security, and geopolitics. In developing his photographic language, he blends art, science, and technology. Practically, he conducts research and eagerly experiments with light, geometric shapes, abstractions, transformations, dimensions, and materials. In his academic research and work, Moll establishes his visual process as the abstract threefold pattern of ‘construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction’ based on a single image. He adopted this trinity as core to his creative and production concept, in which he conceives scientifically intuitive and intellectual modes of visual structuring in connection with practically distinct perceptual viewpoints.
Can you tell us about yourself and give a quick overview of your background?
I am Christiaan and I live around The Hague, The Netherlands. After a long career in international law, security and geopolitics, which took me to a range of interesting countries and regions, I am pursuing my development as a lens based visual artist. Last year I obtained a BFA at the Fotoacademie, Amsterdam. My academic endeavours will certainly not stop here, as I am currently considering next steps for further development.
How would you describe your artistic practice?
In the development of my photographic language, I blend art, science and technology. Practically, I conduct research and eagerly experiment with light, geometric shapes, abstractions, transformations and dimensions. Both emotionally and artistically, intellectually and scientifically, I am strongly drawn to the inspiring epoch of the Interbellum with its disruptive art movements. Not surprisingly, I am fascinated by the geometric 1 abstractions, work, writings and findings of experimental artists involved. The list is considerably longer, but I would like to mention Marlow Moss, Piet Mondriaan, Lazlo Moholy-Nagy, Alexander Calder and Christo. Their curiosity, their wonder hugely inspire me. At the same time, I am equally drawn to theories and publications of scientists, in particular those dealing with visual perception, like Rudolf Arnheim on the ‘’Gestalttheory’’. The fascinating theme of visual perception is core to my concept; the urges for experiment and research are part of my creative process. As for the mediums of my choice: apart from using photographic canvas, so far I have created collages, photogrammes and objects, while experimenting with paper and acrylic. Video is new challenge, as I will experiment with this in my current project during this residency.
What is your methodology or process for creating a new project?
In the conduct of my research and work, I gradually realized that my visual process unfolds along the abstract threefold pattern of ‘construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction´ based on a single image. So, what happens is that I create an image (my own work, work of other artists) in order to memorize it. Next, I retrieve it visually and analyze it mentally into abstract components. After this, I use these components to re-image the (original) image. I adopted this trinity as core to my creative concept in which I connect the (scientifically) intuitive and intellectual modes of visual thinking and structuring with (practically) distinct perceptual viewpoints. In my work I appeal to the relevance of visual perception, as it is pre-conditional for our social perception. What we see, guides us socially in dialogue, debate or conflict on urgent societal issues. I intend to make viewers and others aware of this.
Tell us about the project you are working during your online residency at GlogauAIR.
About my project for this residency in brief: I will take on a self-made image and will subject it to this sequence of construction, deconstruction and reconstruction, as I outlined above. And surprise myself with the outcome. I expect to make a substantial number of digital collages. Furthermore, I intend to experiment with video; a challenge, as I am not very smooth yet in working with this medium. So, even more surprises are upcoming, not in the least for myself!
