marcel piet-hein kerkhoff
About
About
1968 - Born in Suffern, New York. At four months, moves back to The Netherlands with family.
1973-1975 - Family lives in Ahmedabad, India.
1978 - Family immigrates from The Netherlands to Montreal, Canada.
1990 - Bachelor of Fine Art, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Halifax, NS
2002 - Master of Fine Art, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK
Currently residing in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Marcel Kerkhoff was born in Suffern, NY, in 1968, and at the age of three months moved back to The Netherlands with his family. His family immigrated to Canada in 1978. He received his BFA (1990) from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and his MFA (2002) from the University of Saskatchewan.
Marcel usually refers to himself as a still-life painter, though always with some initial hesitation due to what a preconceived notion of still-life may be. Though his technique is classical and immersed in 16th and 17th century Dutch and Flemish practice, his approach to the subject is not a conventional one.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of his still-life paintings is the use of various animal characters, a personification which emanates from childhood puppet theatre. This theatrical element, which also allows him to place his objects/creatures outside of the studio setting, is a part of the freedom of knowing that the context of 'still-life' can be a license to incorporate anything. It was this microcosmic all-encompassing ability of still-life to liberate, when the subject of painting had become a dilemma for him at the turn of the Millennium, which became a salvation of sorts. It seems only natural for his broad interest in animals, theatre and objects to collide in the still-life environment.
His interiors have a similar liberating capacity as his still-life subjects, allowing a broad range of subjects or themes to interact on one plane. Marcel currently lives and works from his home in Hamilton, Ontario, where he surrounds himself with an abundance of objects passed down from his family, things upon which meaning and significance is inherently bestowed.
Marcel's work is in various public and private collections across North America and Europe, including the Canada Council Art Bank, the University of Saskatchewan, the Right Reverend Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire, as well as the former collection of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.
Solo Exhibitions
2010 - Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition
2010 - Argyle Fine Art, Halifax, NS
2008 - Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition
2007 - Argyle Fine Art, Halifax, NS
2006 - Argyle Fine Art, Halifax, NS
2004 - Stimuleye Gallery, Toronto, ON
2003 - Greener Pastures Contemporary Art, Toronto, ON
2002 - Corridor Gallery, Halifax, NS
2001 - Gordon Snelgrove Gallery, Saskatoon, SK
- Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, SK (mentorship with Edison del Canto)
1999 - Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition
1990 - Anna Leonowens Gallery, Halifax, NS
Group Exhibitions
2009 - Alderney Landing Cultural Convention Centre, Dartmouth, NS
2008 - Art in the Fall at 401 Richmond, Toronto, ON
2008 - Argyle Fine Art, Halifax, NS
2007 - Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton, NB
- Argyle Fine Art, Halifax, NS
2006 - Argyle Fine Art, Halifax, NS
2004 - Argyle Fine Art, Halifax, NS
2003 - Corridor Gallery, Halifax, NS
2001 - Gordon Snelgrove Gallery, Saskatoon, SK
2000 - Douglas Udell Gallery, Edmonton, AB
- St.Thomas More Gallery, Saskatoon, SK
- Gordon Snelgrove Gallery, Saskatoon, SK
1990 - Anna Leonowens Gallery, Halifax, NS
Bibliography
Barnard, Elissa. "Artists mark an anniversary". The Chronicle Herald, Halifax, 23 April 2010.
Lovatt, Tom. Site/Specific/Sight: Marion McCain Atlantic Art Exhibition 2007. Fredericton: The Beaverbrook Art Gallery, 2007.
Barnard, Elissa."Going down the rabbit hole." The Chronicle Herald, Halifax, 27 May 2006, F6.
Lisk, Dean. "Guy & dolls: quirky at work." The Daily News, Halifax, 5 January 2006: 18
Robertson, Sheila. "Mischievous works work by not working." The Star Phoenix, Saskatoon, 25 August, 2001, e14.
Mandel, Charles. "Fresh Meat." The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton, 5 May 2000. e5.
Artist's Statement
Interests in zoology, portraiture and theatre, combined with a desire to surround myself with objects that touch me at some level, sum up my work to a large degree. Simple issues of pictorial space, including acts of framing and concealing, or the indication of structural and theatrical elements, I can most easily approach when my subject is tangible and within arm's length, in the same way that a maquette for a set design or building may offer a better, though different, overview of the desired end product. As such, much of my work is also a direct result of a purely pragmatic yet intuitive decision-making process in which I hope to reach something that begins to approach honesty.
I seek to animate one or more characters by allowing them to interact, though more often than not, a limber white bunny that sits and stands quite well becomes the focus. The bunny is perfect: not too cute, somewhat human-like due to its long arms and legs, and perpetually contemplative and inquisitive in a tragic/comic manner. Its expression always reflects its situation and it is critical that it maintains at least the potential to remain innocent. Once I can relate to a character I can begin to describe and suggest the scenes and scenarios that appear before me.
