THE ART OF VAN RENSELAR - ILLUSTRATIONS FROM LOST STORIES
Van Renselar has travelled extensively. He grew up in South Wales, moving to Little Venice in his teens then on to Bromley, where he now lives and works.
As a contemporary/abstract artist he is more concerned with form and colour as an alternative to subject matter. It is not his aim to represent our surroundings or any particular object, he takes ideas from experiences which are visual, cerebral and emotional in nature. His inspiration can as easily be sparked by lines from a song as by an emotional event.
Colour is equally as important as the general design and he will spend a lot of time perfecting the tone of a particular colour, his primary objectives being to establish harmony both in terms of composition and the use of colour. Across the range of pictures there is no defining key of symbols - there is no ‘language’ for the viewer to learn, each picture establishes itself on its own visual merits and the viewer’s interest.
"As he says, "I want to use my knowledge of colour, image and line to make pictures which involve and intrigue the viewer. I take ideas from around and within me, using intuition and imagination to create a new context. Much of my work stems from my subconscious, where I see actions, events and ideas as particular images and colours. As some music can take on a different meaning after it has left the composer's pen, I encourage the viewer to create their own meaning for the picture.”