The line was drawn by / two fingers of a cramped / hand of the writer who wanted / words catched in image, this time / but halfway the paper / had to experience the line let / loose of the tip of the pencil,
and / next
moved freely through space / – that served the scene – / to land in the end / in a dash, or dot / on the ceiling.
Content – where the ink was scraped, there came content (DM, 2021, monoprint)
De lijn werd getrokken door / twee vingers aan de krampachtige / hand van de schrijver die woorden, nu eens / in beeld wilde vatten / maar halfweg het papier / moest ervaren dat de lijn los liet / van de punt van het potlood,
en / vervolgens
vrijelijk bewoog in de ruimte / – die plaats bood voor de scene – / om uiteindelijk te landen / in een vlek, of punt / op het plafond.
(Text & image / terkst en beeld, Drager Meurtant, 2021-2024)
Often the drive is caused by the wish / need to improve living conditions and procreation.
However, the effects may be a disaster for groups indigenous for a specific area. The Black Death, or plague, caused by Yersinia Pestis is related to migration due to war or trade. In the Americas, the arrival of European conquerers did lead to massive slaughter by violence and introduction of diseases for which native people were very vulnerable.
In the 21st century, migration is composed of people hired by companies as well as refugees from counries stricken by war and / or poverty. Increasingly, migration is caused by consequences of climate change.
There is often resitance against the arrival of migrants, often with focus most at refugees.
Walls are created in Europe that exceed mileage manyfold as compared to the former ‘Iron Curtain’.
Still, demographic changes in Europe and some other areas lead to a shift towards old age and insufficient numbers of young workers to keep business going, and threats of deficient care for elderly people…
At NDSM-Fuse the exhibition – curated by Ellen Klijzing – with 35 artists has focus on the experience of refugees.
The contribution of Drager Meurtant deals with slogans / banners telling refugees to
“Go To Hell = If You Are Not From Here”
Next to the banner with this text, separate words on pieces of wood, as advised by the curator, are present to charge visitors in seeking for word combinations.
Drager Meurtant, “Frontex – 2”. 2023
Finally, the letters cut from carton to serve as template for the painted banner, are assembled as collage with additional transformation.
Drager Meurtant, “Frontex – 3”, 2023
NDSM-Fuse ON THE RUN (OP DE VLUCHT), September 1st 2023 – January 28th, 2024.
From early youth, with walks in province of Limburg (NL) I was attracted by half timbered houses.
The architecture consists of a construction with partitions shaped by wooden beams, often made of oak, with in the partitions twigs with loam, later bricks.
Near Slenaken / bij Slenaken, Limburg, NL (Drager Meurtant, 2012)
Van mijn vroege jeugd, met wandeling in Limburg (NL) was ik aangetrokken door vakwerkhuizen.
De bouwstijl bestaat uit een constructie met vakken gevormd door ruwe, veelal wat gekromde balken, vaak van eiken, met in de vakken vroeger takken met leem, later baksteen.
Nu kunst tot m’n dagelijks leven behoort, is er vorm gegeven aan collage – relief van een vakwerkhuis.
“Haus zur Frieden” (Collage – Relief, Drager Meurtant, 2021)
In current time, with art being part of every day’s life, a half timbered hhouse was created with collage-relief.
This year, also wood cut was used to create an image of a hamlock with half timbered homes in the mountains.
Houses and mountains / huizen en bergen (DM, 2022)
En dit jaar is er ook het medium houtsnede aangewend om vorm te geven aan een gehucht in de bergen, bestaande uit vakwerkhuizen.
The day of December two thousand and twenty, started with haze and drizzle, that kept some sort of lock over the day.
Still, face covered with mask in the train, we went to the city of Amsterdam, to visit the museum of photography ‘Foam’. Rarely do I make photos of photos. But there are other elements. My photos taken in the museum are given below, together with a few from the journey back home.
stubborn element (detail)stubborn element (whole)
Now more than in earlier times, there is the need for refreshment of air within buildings.
grate for air vent (one)Grate for air vent (two)
The artist Jan Schoonhoven might have found inspiration.
Grate for air vent (detail of one, B&W)
Somewhat hidden, there is a call for connectivity, dating from more than half a century ago.
electric wire and plugs
A crack in the window captures the focus.
crack in the window, museum Foam
Outside is different, but the view is still influenced. And strong light placed near historic facades of homes deviates the focus.
two lights near historic facade
While looking outside through the train windows, images are mirrors of movement.
drager-meurtant 