My art is fake, my oeuvre consists of forgeries of artworks that have never existed.
It should be unclear if these artworks are from the past or not. On the one hand, I do my best to disguise my artworks as artefacts weathered by time, but at the same time I try to give them conflicting attributes that do not belong to this time nor the past.
These artifacts can then be presented as a ready made / ‘objet trouvé’ for the entertainment or stimulus of the observer, in the hope that a discourse is created between them. Every artwork is part of a theatre play where the artist is an actor playing a character that tries to inspire the viewer to follow his lead – be it into contemplation, arousal, horror or mystery.
Using known forms and rules of art are the best way to start such a discourse. It is comparable to following the uses of the land when meeting someone. Do we shake hands first or do we hug, or maybe kiss?
The way one introduces oneself and acknowledges the other, can be beautiful and personal, but will hardly be original. However, when someone presents themselves in a way that is not fitting, we immediately feel something is off. It is always the element that is not fitting, that will get the most attention – it is a dissonant, just like a boil in a pretty face.
I’m playing a game with the observer, by mimicking certain forms, by using the grammar of past times and making something new by introducing dissonants into my work.
My work is influenced by both science fiction and archeology. I am inspired by human history and that which is strange and alien to us, the unimaginable.
I am wondering what the next step should be in our development before we are able to be confronted with the unimaginable coming from other planets. Because history tells us being confronted with what is strange to us, brings out our worst tendencies.
But who says the unimaginable has to come from outer space? It does not matter if it is true alien life or simply the next step in our own evolution. Or maybe the person standing next to us in the subway. Maybe we’ll find out at some point.
About me
My name is Jeroen Goulooze, also known as ‘AlienSaints’.
As an artist I am self-taught, but I have a Master in General Literature with a thesis on Heiner Müller’s ‘Hamletmachine’. For a long time I rather called myself a writer, and you could say that I create art according to the ideals in my poetics.
I use my own photos as a basis for digital art (image editing / compositing / montage) and present them in homemade frames made of old wood with handmade ornaments. These ornaments are made of self-developed fiber composite, which is inspired starting from a recipe of the old industrial paper Maché from the 19th century.
My works are meant to look like old artifacts, found in a forgotten crypt sometime in the distant future.
I was born in Hilversum (NL) in 1963. I live and work in Berlin since 2006.