Marie Reintjes (1990) lives and works in Arnhem. Throughout her childhood, she has called various places in the Netherlands “home,” but has always had a special place in her heart for the Achterhoek. In pursuit of an art education she moved to Utrecht, where she grew into an artist at the Utrecht School of the Arts. The subsequent move to Arnhem marked her return to Gelderland and felt like a true homecoming. Perhaps her special connection to the Achterhoek explains the frequently recurring motif of the landscape in her work.
"I was able to take an amazing trip to Iceland. The insights I gained there are something I can draw inspiration from for a long time to come."
A large collection of images underlies Marie Reintjes’ work. This visual database is composed of photographs she takes while walking, attending a concert or viewing the Dutch landscape from an airplane—images from everyday life. It also includes photographs from her parents’ photo albums and images of family and friends.
The snapshot style of photography, characteristic of this time, serves as a starting point for her works. Reintjes picks out the gems from the great plethora of “disposable” images, often shot without precision. These everyday moments she then puts on a pedestal through her painting of them.
The images Marie Reintjes uses are personal, sometimes even emotional, but the approach she takes while painting is methodical. She wants to paint with the same speed at which the photograph was taken. Using quick movements to set down her brush strokes, her method reflects the value she places on getting “to the point” and reaching the essence of the image. She leaves out superfluous details, sometimes resulting in a depiction that leans towards the abstract.
In May 2022, Marie Reintjes traveled to Iceland: the “land of fire and ice,” Vikings and deep-rooted superstitions. A fascination with the vastness of nature, and the urge to discover, see and learn new things served as the main motivating factors for Reintjes’ choice of Iceland. The landscape, full of colors and textures not found in the Netherlands, reinvigorated her passion for her paintings.
