Description
This oil painting was created in 2020 on linen with an aluminum stretcher and housed in a black baking list. The size of the painting is 140 x100 cm and has been finished with a matt varnish.
The creative input for this painting arose from the death of a criminal lawyer. This shocking assassination attempt had a major impact on the legal system in the Netherlands and was regarded as an attack on the rule of law. Following this, a discussion began on whether to assist clients anonymously where necessary, and from this, a new group of unknown people would be added to Dutch society.
If we look for existing groups of unknown people, they are most common at the point where the upper and lower classes are intertwined. This interdependence occurs in almost all sectors, but the drug sector, in particular, is at the top of the list. It will be apparent that all parties involved, such as producers, suppliers, distributors, and users, prefer to join the group of unknown people.
Drug use is no longer a problem that only occurs in big cities. A general normalization of its consumption is observed throughout society. Drug purchases have become more accessible, partly due to online purchases. As a result, the unknown flow of people will expand further across the Dutch polder landscape – a development that does not occur exclusively in the Netherlands but worldwide, too.
Gerrit Swaan