Rutger de Regt, experiments in shape and material 

“The narrative of my work is abstracted by the observations and interest in social constructs, inter human relations and the contradictions inhabited in the conventions we subject ourselves to. As a child, I was drawn by the unknown and was always searching for new experiences.

Somehow I rejected the existing conventions and wanted to create the possibility to do it my own way. Rather build my own slide, swing or moped then use an existing one. This trade of character intertwines my work and personal life and is the driving force for my practice.”

HACKING INDUSTRY
In this digital era, the fast and imposing way technological developments are influencing our vocabulary narrative, seems to create a disconnect between our sensory needs and the digitized language we use to communicate. This is enabled by an enclosed chain of digitized processes which make up our physical environment. The physical qualities humans possess are eradicated from our production processes which detaches us from our physical environment. This has fueled my aspirations as an artist to enable a physical relationship between me and the materials which are used in these closed chained industrial processes.

“Human beings impose all kinds of restrictions which form different social structures, conventions, beliefs and identity. My fascination for these influences and the adaptiveness we possess as human beings, inspired me to translate these forces into a process, which enables me to physically manipulate an object during the moulding process. My first collection ‘The Happy Misfits’ initiated the beginning of a decade of research and experimentation with the concept ‘manipulating the skin’. This concept resulted in an intuitive sculpting method, where the skin and body is represented by a balloon filled with industrial granules, while the balloon, function as a skin, the industrial granules support and hold the skin to create a malleable artificial body. Direct physical impositions of the hands, body and disposables used as tools, are reflected in the artificial body. The characteristics of the industrial granules are used to preserve this sensory moment in time. Various pigments, coatings and other finishings are used to create the narrative of the story. The stories derived from personal reflections on social and cultural events influencing my past present and future. To act against the restrictions of societal conventions, resulted in an expanding family of misfits, one-off characters and mythical creatures, ready to take their place in society.”

RUTGER DE REGT 

1979_Born in Zoetermeer  (NL)
2011_Graduated from Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague.

Collections
| private collections, The Netherlands