"I did it my way" is a statement that would fit Sam Dillemans' (° 1965) tombstone perfectly. Dillemans lives and works in Antwerp. You hardly ever meet people that walk their own path of life to such an extent as this artist. Uncompromisingly he got rid of all the ballast that could keep him from his ultimate goal: creating beauty. His art originates out of pure necessity. A widely ranged need that has resulted in a large number of compelling paintings, a selection of which can now be admired in his own exhibition room in Antwerp. This Is Antwerp met up with Sam Dillemans in the middle of all this beauty and learned once again that happiness often lies in a perfectly placed brushstroke.
Never underestimate a lone ranger like Dillemans, who has just opened the doors of his own exhibition room. This unique space is to become a permanent home for his oeuvre. A treat for his fans, who in the past often had to wait several years to see the work of this great master. Dillemans' painting career is characterized by periods in which he focuses on only one subject (remember his or portraits). He finished off these phases by organizing exhibitions, after which he used to disappear for an indefinite time.
Enter 'Exhibition Room Sam Dillemans', where from now on the work of this modern plastic hero will be permanently exposed. No longer confined by the rhythm of the exhibition circus, Dillemans is now totally free to decide what and when he exhibits. How he'll put this luxury to use, is still an unanswered question. But a sure thing is he'll never become a slave of this space: "I will not force myself to bring something new here every two years. If it takes longer, so be it. I am now the master of my own space, agenda and choices and that's a wonderful feeling. In the future I might organize an exhibition entirely devoted to graphics, or to the work of unknown talents".
But for now, Dillemans has chosen to exhibit some jewels from his youth and his graphic work, in separate areas. The other selected works are set up in spheres. Starting from the idea that a work of art always has to stand on its own, even when hanging next to another one, Dillemans is looking for strong confrontations. Encounters between a boxer and a naked woman, or between a lady and a landscape, provide his existing work with a new dynamic and freshness.
Although the confrontations are not always right, there is always a leitmotif . Dillemans: "A boxer facing an old master is not such a large contradiction; they are all naked bodies competing each other. Then again, a lover wouldn't do as well next so such heavily loaded work. My clashes are bloodless, there are no victims here. More so: new flowers have grown out of them".
In these confrontations, Dillemans' landscape paintings (which he picked up again in 2014) strikingly stand their ground. Dillemans: "The landscapes are very complementary with the rest of my work. Not so much as far as the theme is concerned, but on the level of coloration and design".
With the typical anatomical work of Dillemans in mind, the art of landscape painting seems to imply a whole different way of observing and working. Dillemans: "Landscapes are indeed more abstract than a naked body. The latter is always subject to certain regularities you can hold onto. A landscape is borderless; it can evolve in all directions. It's a challenge, but fortunately I master the art of drawing perfectly".
According to Dillemans, overcoming the difficulties of landscape art is only possible if you posses enough technical baggage. In that case you're also not dependent on examples like a picture or the work of a Grand Master to get you started. "When you master your discipline sufficiently an example is only an excuse to leave it. The basic thing is not to let the that are lurking in the back of your head take the upper hand".
To reach that level, it took Dillemans a lot discipline. Even if he doesn't live up to the stereotype of the tormented painter-hermit. His solitary rhythm of life surprises the average man in the street, but to Dillemans it is absolutely natural. This uncompromising drive is the result of his intuitive necessity to paint. By refusing to surrender to "other excesses that are less fruitful than art" Dillemans found the peace and satisfaction that most modern multi-taskers miss in their lives.
His pencil is also an answer to difficulties he may come across in life: "I can not linger in emotions. Because when I enter my studio a new painting is waiting for me. New problems and new solutions are there. In my studio I run little revolutions that are completely harmless to the outside world. Only things like literature and a few precious friendships can stand next to that".
To Dillemans' art is a necessity as well as a way out. And he doesn't want to act too ponderous about that. Which also counts for his paintings. Dillemans is not a man of great theories, which probably accounts for his success. To him, the subject is always secondary to the form. This gives the spectator the chance to be absorbed by the beauty and virtuosity of his paintings, without having to look for the underlying message. Dillemans: "Good work doesn't need theory. I simply don't think it is necessary to analyze a painting psychologically. Having to explain a work makes me very suspicious. A painting should be painted well in the first place. That is where the innovation is to be found, not in the stories to tell".
And that is how we have to interpret the war series that he maybe would like to make, a loaded theme after all. Dillemans: "My subjects always present themselves in a natural way. I don't have to search for topics, the paint always finds me. In this particular case I'm simply fascinated by the confrontation of metal, skin, mud, loneliness,.. There's something alienating which attracts me. It intrigues me, but it doesn't go any further than that. And it's certainly not meant as a reflection of the current conflicts in the world".
Something to keep in mind while visiting his wonderful place in Antwerp. Empty your agenda and spend a whole afternoon there, so you can fully absorb the beauty and intensity of Dillemans' universe. The current exhibition is open until the 16th of October. The clock is ticking!
You can find 'Tentoonstellingsruimte Sam Dillemans' in the Eggestraat 2, 2060 Antwerp. Open on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 2PM until 6PM. Entrance fees vary from 2 to 4€.
When you're there, make sure to take a look in the Homonymous book, published by DRIE in cooperation with Manteau. It offers the first chronological survey of Dillemans' work and has an introduction by the famous Belgian author David Van Reybrouck.
Text by Saar De Permentier
Pics by Wim Van Eesbeek