Dare to Love by Aleksander - International by Aleksander Willemse

aleksander dare to love

an artists mission to make our world feel good

Aleksander Willemse ISBN 9789090356099 NUR 653

Everything in this publication may be reproduced, by printing, photocopying, computerized data files or by any other means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Dare to love

by alek|sander

DARE TO LOVE by alek|sander WARNING - All art from Alek|sander is created with the utmost care. Viewing and experiencing his work can unexpectedly cause an overdose of wonderful feelings. Immediately open yourself to the message of love and joy. It has been found that people with (temporary) reduced psychological resistance are regularly overwhelmed by the amount of positivity. In similar situations - if this applies to you - remain calm (you are not in immediate danger, what you are experiencing at most is an uncomfortable awkwardness), take deep breaths and keep looking at the object that caused discomfort. This miraculous emotion will usually dissipate within a few dozen seconds bringing on a slightly euphoric intoxication. Pessimists, doom-seers and hypochondriacs also run the risk of remaining in a permanent state of bliss caused by repeated contact with the works of art. Clear and concrete physical side effects can be, for example: the noticeable rise of the corners of the mouth. Sensed as a slight cramp but not at all unpleasant. In many cases, little short wrinkles on the outside of both eyes are also observed; described in literature as crow’s feet. People become more active and powerful in their movements, seem to stand a little taller, speak in tones half or sometimes 2 octaves higher and even small vibrations in the voice can be heard. Practice also shows that a warm tingling sensation in the stomach is part of the side effects.

Targeted individuals also describe a change in their ‘aura’, described by others as a significant progression of the ‘life energy’. A pleasant transformation of the immediate air and space around the person, that cannot be explained scientifically but is experienced by a significant number of people, in connection with the completeness is deemed unavoidable. An emphatic effect on your environment is equally noticeable. You will experience a significant reduction of conflicts. People around you approach you softer. The number of ‘collisions’ decrease dramatically. Instead, people will consult you earlier. You will find that you are regularly invited to social occasions such as: parties, coffee, drinks, chats, birthdays, bowling, Christmas/New Year’s, vacations, partner swaps and so on. Your popularity will increase, and you will notice that more people know you than vice versa. Others will look forward to your arrival. To date, no addictive effect of the work has been observed. Nevertheless, it is advisable to deal sensibly with the amount of exposure to the art of Alek | sander. Viewing and experiencing this exhibition - including allowing the emotional charge of all independent works of art - is entirely at your own risk. Do not accept the message you receive as truth but consider and develop your own point of view. If in doubt about reduced mental resistance consult your psychiatrist, psychologist or guru.

Aleksander Willemse 1968 Leiden The Netherlands Aleksander Willemse lives and works in Lelystad (Amsterdam area).

Education Photo Academy Amsterdam 2006 - 2010 cum laude

Preface

First of all, I would like to thank my parents. Because what is an artist without a ‘difficult childhood’? Their free and carefree upbringing has given me the freedom to find and fight my own struggles. And to overcome that struggle with love.

Family is everything. I am grateful to my sweet gentle wife for her intelligence and her belief in my work as an artist. I thank my son because he gives me even more ‘drive’ to improve myself every day. And my gift child for his beautiful sensitive view of the world.

I thank all the artists who inspire me. I thank Banksy for the mirror he holds up to us. For shitting the art world. And for the innovation that he is and the art movement that he has become. Andy Warhol, thank you for your grumbling about everything and everyone who refused to buy your art. Or was willing to pay too little for it. All I can say is, “You’re not alone.” And - Andy Warhol - thank you for pop art in its entirety, for me the coolest art movement there is. Big thanks, Jean-Michel Basquiat, for being yourself. That being yourself freaky and at the same time recognizable is enough to make art out of. Thank you more than Takashi Murakami. 2D doesn’t get even cooler by turning it into 3D. Flat art is possible again on 3D objects that can be nicely massproduced.

And thank you very much Mr. Brainwash for your exceptionally commercial view of art. Making art doesn’t have to be an ordeal. ‘Life is beautiful’ and may be consumed fully and happily. Thank you Damian Hirst too. Thank you for your ‘experience art’. Because art is an adventure and a story. Jeff Koons, thank you for your shamelessness. Whether it’s about your appearance or your inner preference.

Space Invader, also such an example for me. Thank you for letting everyone in the world share in your art. And thank you kindly Sebastian Masuda for your softness, your huggability and not wanting to conform to the adult world.

I would like to thank all my former advertising concept colleagues. Because they taught me that it is not an option to be inspired by the work of other colleagues previously made. And that your head will be chopped off if you ‘borrow’ ideas from anyone in the world. I would like to thank all art connoisseurs and critics who consider building on the insights of other artists to be an advantage. And put you in higher esteem when you ‘steal’ previously made work and then do your ‘art’ thing with it. I thank the gallery owners who cheated me. When it comes to money, there are different sentiments… I know now. And I thank all the gallery owners who have tried with me. I thank the gallery owners who did not see it in my art. And I would especially like to thank the gallery owners who, together with me, want to make the world a little happier.

I thank all the self-proclaimed gurus who didn’t like my work. It has strengthened me that I was on the right track. And all the creative examples in my life who shared their enthusiasm and support with me. I thank all vague acquaintances for their value-free, genuinely interested questions such as: “Hey Aleksander, how about that. Do you only do a little art these days? Or are you still working?” And when they feel nice and free, follow it with a question like: “Or are you one of those artists who only lives on the subsidy?” It gives me the necessary urgency to prove.

Furthermore and finally I would like to thank all the artists around the world. Because artists go off the beaten track. Because artists are always creating something new. Even if the last 109 creations before that were a failure. Because artists always help humanity one small step further. That is the power of creating ‘something’ out of ‘nothing’.

Like a flower needs the sun to become a flower. That is how a human being needs love to become human. Surround yourself with love and trust, so you can be who you’d like to be.

The result of positivity I have experienced that when you feel more positive, you are also more positive towards your surroundings. That you are milder-tempered, you worry less and you are less afraid. Together that makes you feel happier.

For example, years ago I made the decision not to watch the news more - than necessary - quite a big step. I was an information junkie and I literally had to see, read and hear everything that was happening in the world. As a result, a lot of misery entered my system that had a negative effect on my mood. While at the same time I couldn’t do anything to change the situation.

Now that I no longer follow the (bad) news and allow as much positivity as possible, my mood is happier. Without losing touch with the world.

- Aleksander -

“Fantas just as long th something tha until it do

sizing is hinking about at doesn’t exist oes exist.”

Our floral manifesto Dare to love

Our mission is to make our world a little bit sweeter.

Flowers are delicate and sweet, they make people happy. Various scientific studies worldwide support the positive influence of flowers on our feelings, behavior and health. Flowers bring a good feeling, both to the receiver and to the giver. A good feeling spreads and multiplies. But being nice isn’t always easy for everyone. That takes courage. In short, someone has to start getting the feel good movement going. We will do that together!

Bringing flowers together is the start of the ‘feel good’ art movement of the 22nd century: Dare to love!

www.alek-sander.art The roots of our feel-good art movement

1: What we want We are going to make the world rather, nicer, happier, milder, more positive with flowers.

2: What we are Everyone can be themselves. Even if that is different from what we are. Even if people think differently than we think. Even if things are done differently than we do.

3: What we think Everyone has the right to a flower. Even if we think that someone does not deserve a flower.

4: What we earn No one deserves to be unhappy. Nor does anyone deserve to be unhappy. Happiness is not reserved for a few “elect”.

5: What we think We find that completely unimportant.

Killing violence regrets the machine My counter voice to the glorification of the clash of arms. World leaders who do not want to be inferior to each other and who speak ‘powerful’ language. Artists who elevate weapons to aesthetics. I fight terrorists who express their dissatisfaction with bombs with flowers. With beautiful and sweet and peaceful. My flowers automatically fire even more open-yourheart feelings into the world. Perhaps as Kalashnikov himself intended afterwards. After all, he later expressed his regret for making this effective weapon.

Chemical love at first sight The only certainty we have in life is that we will die. Then let’s make sure that we make one big party out of life.

Beh

hind the scenes

Love Explosion Feel the total overwhelm of emotions and the amazing explosion of love and happiness. Just like I felt when my son was born.

Always keep doubting I can remember like it was yesterday that I had made my first painting. A gray cat against a somewhat petrol-esque background. On a canvas I painted a color that I liked with a small paint roller. And on top of that I created the shape of a cat, which I made using masking tape to get a clean outline. I simply liked the form itself because it is so completely out of touch with reality and yet it is recognized as figurative. At the same time, the result was also the limit of my abilities.

I say that I remember it like it was yesterday, but what stands out for me with this first ‘work-for-the-wall’ is the enormous uncertainty that came with the release of my creation. I thought I would give it to a very good friend as a present. I also made it especially for her. She is crazy about cats. It kept me awake at night and it took me weeks to ask her if she would like me to give her that work. Maybe it wasn’t good enough at all? Perhaps it was too childish a drawing. Didn’t it look way too easy? Were the colors exciting enough? Was it acceptable to use masking tape when creating a work of art? And that signature with your own name and that theatrical date notation, was that even possible?

As usual, my girlfriend was more than honored by my painting. It was given a prominent place in the (design) living room. Of course I was proud. But ah, ah, ah, what uncertainty storms into an artist’s head. And that will always be. Believe me. That will never go away. The only thing I can give to other makers: Embrace that uncertainty and learn to enjoy the doubt. They are your instruments.

Never, never, never forget to fly. Stay away from people who keep you and your ambitions small. Little people do that. While great people make you feel like you can be great too. Even the most insignificant caterpillar is capable of growing great. And at the same time, nothing in a caterpillar gives us the idea that it will be beautiful. Get the most out of your inner self. Lose the cocoon that seems to protect you, but only keeps you small. Surround yourself with all the beauty that life has to offer. And never, never, never forget to fly.

Fear of positivity When you think about it, it seems almost unbelievable, but allowing only positivity in your life isn’t as easy as it sounds. It may seem strange, but several times in my life I have come across people who have a fear of positivity. While we all really want nothing more. I know people who confuse happiness, freedom and carelessness with one dimensional. And they think you’re burying your head in the sand and that it’s not too bright either. Some other people think that if you try to be happy or act happy, you are feeling poor. Or worse, being stupid or appearing simple. But nothing could be further from the truth. Of course, living carefree does not mean that you are not ready for your best friends if they get divorced. Being happy does not ensure that your children never get sick. Feeling freedom does not mean that you do not love your wife and children with all your heart and soul. The opposite is true. When you are comfortable in your own skin, you have much more to give to those who are most dear to you and to the world. If you are happy with your own wealth, you can let go of the people and their (im)quirks in your environment in how they want to go through life. When you live in freedom, you can keep your surroundings with you by letting them go.

A conference table for the ‘war’ room especially for corporate companies with an aggressive strategic plan of attack to conquer the market, drive the competition out of the market and aim to shoot the target group...

... with love.

Luca’s army of love “Will you make me a tank?” our six-year-old Luca asked. It seems so natural for toy manufacturers to produce soldiers, F16s, rifles and other weapons of war to play with. Or that parents buy it for their little ones. I actually thought an anti-tank was much tougher. So I made a camouflaged armored vehicle with maximum firepower that fights for love. One that fires projectiles of friendship and merriment with heavy artillery.

Intersection of faith and meaning Believe in nature. Believe in the good. Believe in the beautiful. Believe what you want to believe in yourself. Hold on to all that is beautiful and love.

Messing aroun underestim of the creati

nd is the most mated phase ive process”

Walking a thin line between good and evil It doesn’t really matter what you do or how you behave. People do have an opinion about it. Whether people ‘like’ you or ‘condemn’ you is not really in your control. And what is considered fine today may just be unacceptable tomorrow in an ever-transforming society.

Mickey the symbol and his Minnie To me Mickey Mouse is the symbol of the ideas of the free West. A world where you can feel free if you have enough money. Mickey stands for ultimate fun and entertainment, but nothing from Mickey is free or for nothing. My Mickey is very easy to copy yourself without worrying about copyrights from Disney, Damian Hirst or Aleksander.

The lives of a number of elderly people - who are in an advanced stage of dementia - are becoming increasingly quiet. For the project ‘Ambulant Care Art’ I visited various (closed) care institutions in Almere for many years to make art with these (demented) seniors in the final phase of their lives. To connect and share a good time with them. To let them talk about their lives. And to wrap that life in a work of art made of flowers.I am only interested in them. In their lives then and now. And as long as I can make contact with them, I ask about their fondest memories. For each of them has gone through a period in their lives when they felt that the world was at their feet. Sometimes I lose them after two minutes. And sometimes time never seems to end.

Aleksander

The project “Ambulant Care Art” is an initiative of the Foundation Zijderups and is made possible in part by Zorggroep Almere, Cultuurfonds Almere and the municipality of Almere.

The sand mandala is a geometric work of art that consists entirely of sand. In the past, all kinds of small stones were used instead of colored sand grains. This form of art is practiced in Tibet and requires sufficient concentration from its creator. Buddhist monks usually spend a long period of time finishing the artwork. Making a sand mandala can sometimes take months. In the end, an impressive work of art is created with various colors and patterns. The artwork will be completely destroyed afterwards. With this they symbolically show that nothing is permanent. And that it is mainly about the process. Creating the floral artwork is similarly about the process; every morning or afternoon when we are creating together. When the work is finished, I therefore ask the maker to mix up the artwork. And even though I always explain that we cheat a little bit by capturing the end result with the camera, many makers think it’s a shame.

For the ‘Ambulant Care Art’ project I previously visited various closed care institutions in Almere to make art with these demented elderly people in the final phase of their lives. To connect and share a good time with them. I let them tell about their lives. And I wrapped that story in a still life of the few possessions they still have around them. Because they don’t care about ‘stuff’ for a long time. You can take ‘everything’ with you “if-you-like-it”. I am really interested in them. Who were they in the prime of their lives? And how do they still feel that? As long as I can reach them I try to find out what the happiness in their life was. Or inquire why certain objects are so valuable to them. The result is a visualization of emotion. And sometimes, very occasionally, after a week they still know that we had a good time. That’s the best compliment you can get.

The project “Ambulant Care Art” is an initiative of the Foundation Zijderups and is made possible in part by Zorggroep Almere, Cultuurfonds Almere and the municipality of Almere.

Voyage Mrs. Cornelia Vlekkert has had a very good life, together with her husband Egbert who has unfortunately already passed away. It was a beautiful day when they went sailing with friends on the Loosdrechtse Plassen. Immediately after docking, her friends went off the boat for a ‘walk’. The sun was beautiful in the sky to the right of Cornelia and Egbert. Slowly Egbert began to move closer and closer to her and finally he put an arm around her. There was no kiss. You didn’t do that right away at the time. But since that day, Egbert kept cycling to her to take Cornelia for a ‘walk’. And to give her a kiss on the cheek. The warmth she then felt throughout her body gave her the confidence and the knowledge that this was forever. They could not have children together, but have had a very beautiful life with many travels around the world. And Cornelia painted a lot all her life. That made her happy.

Terminus Mrs. Hegeman is a sweetheart. I am the first to be welcomed in her room and of course she likes to talk about her children. And about the dog. And her husband. But not in that order. And not at all connected to each other. And it’s not clear what exactly is all about it. I find the dog she loved so much in one of the photos from the pile that I was allowed to hold. Smoked? No, of course she has never smoked in her life, she answers firmly while I put an empty packet of rolling papers ready in my still life. Her life is a bit battered and that is clearly not over yet. The following week, Mrs. Hegeman was transferred to another care institution. Because it was not always easy between her and the residents here.

Trophies Mr. de Boer has a collection of miniature animals and is fond of his piglets. He l-i-k-e-s that one. In memory of his deceased son and his late wife, Mr. de Boer has two glass houses with a jewel in them. Life has become small...

Overtime Mr. Beentjes met his wife - who still visits him daily - at the handball club. Mrs. Beentjes did not think he was particularly handsome, but unbelievably sweet. And he was very good at handball. It was his lust and his life. Handball and its association always came first. Now he is almost defeated. Only the extension remains.

Temper Mrs. Ines Delgado Garcia is a temperamental woman from Seville. So temperamental that she is nowhere to be maintained. Everywhere she ends up, she smashes things to pieces and is angry at everything and everyone. She has finally found her place in Vizier. There the level of stimulation is low and that is good for her. She is nice and having a great time. And that is a great relief for her daughter. Now she finally has the peace she deserves. Her daughter makes a cozy room for her.

Sequence The Catholic Mrs. van Buuren lived for making series. In billiards. She was good at that. She has not yet forgotten that she smoked. She keeps her cigarettes in the hem of her pants. Of course we were allowed to borrow one for the photo. She showed us the series of photos of her playing billiards, together with her husband. Now she has entered a new chapter of her life.

Testimonium Mrs. Jos Bruins does not say much more. When she’s excited, she claps her hands and looks at you meaningfully. Her large living room is almost empty. In the corner of the large room is a bed and on the other side of the room under the window is a small table. On the windowsill are two bibles and a map. The card is from a (fellow) Jehovah’s Witness and shows sympathy for the loss of her husband. But she no longer knows that Jos is Jehovah’s witness. Hopefully they will keep up with that in heaven.

Flowers are very fragile. A big storm and they’re dead. A hard rain shower and they are drowned. You can pick them without effort from the ground. Flowers are also very powerful. They make people happy. To lure insects towards them with their radiant colors and they flirt with worldwide.

Camouflaged kiss It seems that more and more people take offense and actually feel hurt when they see two people making love by walking down the street hand-in-hand, hugging and kissing. And it also seems that there are more and more people who ‘understand’ that.

“Art cannot because eve is a new

be criticized ery mistake creation” - Mr. Brainwash -

Methylthioninium chloride (D. Hirst blauw) How we like to play God. We make everything that lives more beautiful and better through scientific enrichment. We create an ideal world through breeding and genetic modification. My flowers have also been modified and refined to perfection. So the world is malleable?

Love bombing ‘Operation Freedom’, ‘peace missions’; they are terms that disguise that we are on the warpath. As far as I’m concerned, a peace mission should look like this. It could just lead to the enemy firing back with love.

Leave the gun, take the violets I think you get back what you put in. If you approach someone angrily, the other person will not immediately provide loving feedback. If, on the other hand, you are vulnerable and cordial towards a person, you can usually expect a positive attitude in return. When you go out, leave your weapons at home. And bring a big bunch of flowers. That will brighten up your day.

Vulnerability is the new powerful It seems like a contradiction in advance. But vulnerability can counterbalance negative forces. Vulnerability is not the same as not being resilient.

The reverse is even more true. Only when you are very resilient can you afford to show your vulnerability. And resilience is related to self-confidence. The degree of self-confidence is proportional to the degree of resilience. So it’s about whether you have enough self-confidence to turn vulnerability into your strength. And if you are able to do that, then you have the confidence to be who you want to be.

First victory ultimate struggle For everyone who believes that our lives can be made. And that you are in control of all your happiness. Maybe we should accept a little more that life is just really unfair. And that already starts with conception.

Never never n

never give up

Dream with y

your eyes open

Bloom up for natural magnificence It seems like our whole life revolves around it. Who has the biggest? Does the US President have the biggest? Or Russia, China maybe? Maybe North Korea? Does wealth win over power? Or is beauty better than intelligence? From an early age, we have been trying to outdo others. The ‘biggest’ seems to guarantee us a place higher in the hierarchy. The best place if we want to take care of offspring. In any case, I created the biggest ‘loving’ one. If you have to fight anyway. Then only with beautiful, nice and sweet.

Leave lust of the wicked fear Every woman has one, but nobody talks about it. Many women don’t really know their own bodies at all. But can you love yourself if you don’t even dare to look at yourself? As natural as our own body is, apparently we feel an embarrassment when we make contact with our sexuality. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could see the beauty of the female body without judgment? My flowers are an ode to the origin of life. That should be seen and celebrated.

e v o L for e l a S

It’s a small world after all

The smallest exhibition in the world. Large extensive exhibition in mini format especially for doll houses during an art project ‘Street on the map’ in 2018.

Never stop

p playing

#fakeit

ttillyoumakeit

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. It seems too simple and maybe it is. Yet we often cannot do it for all kinds of reasons and causes. But I can honestly promise you. Enjoy life, nature and everything that is given to life. If you look around you, you will discover the wonders around you in the most simple situations. Collect those wonders in your memory and you will feel rich.

No time to waste the nuclear power plant How dangerous is danger? Or are we more afraid of the fear and uncertainty than of what is actually going on? What makes us fearful of things we don’t understand or control? Perhaps you find the most beautiful things exactly where the danger begins.

Ever tried

Ever failed No matter

Try again

Fail again Fail better

Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.

Strong Fatima | Dare to love | Stop!” seems to be the sign of this hand. Don’t pass by here. But the opposite is true. The hand of Fatima is also called lucky hand. The symbol protects you from all evil. And with all my colorful flowers, it also makes room for a cheerful feeling.

Change en No satisfaction in Cuba In 2015 I traveled to Cuba to shoot ‘room with a view’ in Havana. This photo series of mine was frequently published in photo magazines and was shown at photo festivals all over the world. From New York to Sydney and in the Netherlands at Photo Festival Naarden and Photo Festival Leiden. It was by far the cheapest to book an all-inclusive to Cuba and then travel to Havana yourself. And so it happened. In Havana I had arranged a ‘fixer’. Someone who spoke the language and who knew all the customs of the local population. When we went to our accommodation from the Square of the Revolution by taxi, it turned out that it was a ride of less than 100 meters, but the driver took more than twenty minutes. The towering image of the famous square never disappeared from our rear window, causing us to laugh louder and louder. Finally arriving at our residence, our fixer - whom we had not yet become acquainted with - barked something at the taxi driver, which made the ride cost five euros instead of twenty-five. Did we immediately earn him back a bit, he said, when he introduced himself to us.

Bansky is a good example for me when it comes to art on a banknote. An idea that has been picked up by many street art artists in recent years. I thought if I were going to make art on a banknote too, then I would do it on the most beautiful and iconic banknote that exists. As a precaution, I took a small supply of 3 pesos banknotes with the image of Che Guevara, which is actually forbidden for tourists. At the time I had no idea what I would do with it.

The following year was special for Cuba. US President Obama visited the beautiful country. And shortly afterwards the Rolling Stones were allowed to perform there. A great opportunity for these works of art, Change and No satisfaction.

Love is the only thing that multiplies by dividing it

For an exhibition upon Urk, we artists were asked to exhibit and the explicit restriction was stated that no naked/nude or sexual image could be shown.

I have a series of abstracts entitled ‘Best Before’. At least they seem abstract, but they are not. They are close ups of food as we find it in the shops. For this particular exhibition, I went in search of packaged haddock. Because haddock is the symbol for Urk. I photographed the haddock in line with the other works and an abstract was created in which you could secretly think of a ‘pussy’ without too much imagination.

Fortunately, haddock was allowed to be exhibited on Urk.

“Life is an abstract art, and it’s up to you to make se nse of it”

Andy Warhols Space Invaders Space Invaders was one of the first modern computer games in the 1980s. A game with a simple line and a lot of repetition of shapes. Just the way Andy Warhol actually approached his art. That, combined with one of Andy’s most famous flowers, makes this my Space Invaders version as it was intended entirely for Andy Warhol.

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exhibitions

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11 DONDERDAG 16 MEI 2019

Dare to love

der Willemse n, 1968) expotie van zijn in de AmsterPlanting Galtitel ’Dare to

h kunstenaar jeugd een ver-

zamelaar van bloemen. Inmiddels heeft hij een uitgebreid beeldarchief. Voor de composities van zijn kunstwerken worden alle bloemen individueel gefotografeerd. Met digitale collages creëert hij moderne stillevens om bij weg te dromen uit de alledaagse realiteit. De intrigerende creaties kunnen de harde werkelijkheid verzach-

mse: ’Chemical love at first sight’.

ten en verbloemen; met een spanningsveld tussen zien en voelen. Willemse (Leiden, 1968) was als conceptmaker en copywriter jarenlang werkzaam in de reclamebranche. Met genomineerde en bekroonde campagnes. Na een opleiding aan de Fotoacademie in Amsterdam is hij zich sinds 2010 volledig gaan richten op fo-

tografie en ’feel good’ art. Zijn autonome werk is te zien geweest in het Fotomuseum Den Haag, het Nederlands Fotomuseum in Rotterdam en op fotofestivals in Amsterdam, Lagos, Leiden, Naarden, New York en Sydney. ’Dare to love’ is te zien tot en met 13 juli. www.eduardplanting.com

Kiss from a rose A life full of lust, indulging in pleasure and desire, is base, evil, sensual, ignoble and vain.” According to Buddha. What does he actually think, that Buddha. I would say enjoy your short life as much as possible. Because life is beautiful, but you have to make it fun yourself. And don’t let others tell you what you should and shouldn’t do. Not by anyone. Not by me, and definitely not by Buddha.

Only love gives us the taste of eternity The menorah is the bringer of light, the divine light. Jewish mystical tradition teaches that the middle arm of the menorah is energized by the profuse stream of light from above, enabling it to transmit light to the other six arms. Over time, the menorah became the symbol of Judaism. It symbolizes the idea that the modern state of Israel should be an example for all nations in the world.

The true mason always carries his working tools everywhere To keep on planing and grinding and chopping and sanding the rough stone in order to get it better and more perfect cubic is a nice task for us ‘eternal pupils’. Of course, we always carry the tools we need with us. Or let’s just say we’re trying to do that. If we already know what the right ‘tools’ are in certain situations. The ‘All-seeing eye’ that I made with my flowers is central and sees ‘everything’. Masonic tools float around it, reminding us of the possibilities we have in working our raw stone.

Pac Man Flower Pac Man, the classic computer game from the 1980s. One of the most successful computer games of all time. Due to its success, many different sequels appeared. And ‘handy’ entrepreneurs tried to profit from the worldwide success of Pac Man. mrs. Pac Man, Super Pac Man, Pac Man Madness and so on. After 39 years I come up with Pac Man Flower. An original version that wasn’t there yet. And it encourages you to get as much love as possible.

Arno + Aleksander I met Arno during a creativity competition for young creatives at the ADCN (Art Directors Club Netherlands) in Felix Meritus on the Keizersgracht in Amsterdam. At least twenty very talented junior advertising teams - 40 advertising creatives - had gathered there that morning in the hope of being rewarded with eternal honor today for the very best idea. These duos knew each other well and had already worked together at large well-known advertising companies. offices in Amsterdam. I had no such partner. And to be honest, it didn’t make much progress with the recognition that I had been working extremely hard for years as an advertising creative. I had signed up as a copywriter on my own and when I arrived early in the morning I saw that there was only one copywriter and two art directors who had signed up solo. One of those two art directors looked “super creative.” “I had to make sure that I would be linked to him,” I thought. Unfortunately, the other copywriter had been much more determined and had already joined this talent. I was therefore automatically linked to the only remaining somewhat introverted quiet friendly but anything but flamboyantly creative looking art director Arno. The day before the competition, all participants had received the briefing to prepare for this day. And after Arno and I had completed the necessary introduction ritual, we first decided to browse through each other’s brainstorming sketches. I think it was with the second or third sketch that Arno showed that I felt a eureka moment. What a great idea he showed me. We only had to make a nice presentation of it. That day, ‘I’ won the ADCN creativity competition. With a great idea from someone I had never met before. But “A-l-e-k-s-a-n-d-e-r--W-i-l-l-e-m-s-e had won!” I read in the trade magazines. Afterwards, we decided to meet periodically and see if we could discover a creative ‘click’. It turned out to be the start of a long, beautiful and inspiring collaboration.

Arno + Aleksander | brand emotions Since neither of us had a mega-impressive portfolio folder, we decided to make our name in the advertising scene with our own brand: arno+aleksander. Branding is usually about building a certain feeling around a brand. We became the ‘super’ specialists in developing the emotions: arno + aleksander | brand emotions. A conceptual art project in which the emotions come first and the possible brand can join for a fee.

This is how we developed the Relieved© (opgelucht©). A ‘no fine’ on a yellow piece of paper. We placed these under the windscreen wipers of cars and then looked at the reactions of people after a festive advertising gala.

When we had an introductory meeting at an advertising agency, one of us always went to the toilet there to leave an original Confusion© (verwarring©), by sticking flies to the wall everywhere in the toilet.

Also our Embarrassment© (gene©), a plastic bag with the image of video store the Porn King. It became a sought after item in the advertising scene and provided by the ADCN with the purchase of an annual. Worn by advertising creatives in a creative environment, it gave a geuzen feeling. But if you walked through the supermarket with it, you could experience that delicious embarrassment yourself.

Loop je nietsvermoedend Loop je nietsvermoedend terug naar jeterug auto,naar zie jejevan auto, verzie af je dat van hetver mis af is. dat het mis is. Shit! Alweer Shit! zo’n gele Alweer prent. zo’nGeïrriteerd gele prent.ruk Geïrriteerd je de bonruk onder je dedebon ruitenwisser onder de ruitenwisser van je auto vandaan. van je auto Wacht vandaan. eens Wacht even... eens Dit is even... helemaal Dit is geen helemaal boete. geen boete. Precies. Dat Precies. is exact wat Dat is het exact is: geen wat boete. het is: geen boete. Wel een opluchting Wel eendus. opluchting Gekregen dus. van Gekregen arno+aleksander. van arno+aleksander.

behoefte aan verschillende emoties te stillen, kopen we het al hebben, dan kopen we gewoon opnieuw. Maar dan het Want dit nieuwe mobieltje heeft ‘blue tooth’ technologie. je wel tot 25 meter onder water. Verspilling? Verderfelijke ppij? Arno+aleksander geeft geen waardeoordelen.

s te ervaren zonder de daarbij gebruikelijke s het assortiment [merk]emoties© Geen anarchistisch antwoord op de ptiemaatschappij. rciële aanvulling voor mensen die wel an pure emoties ©. ag een emotie © cadeau doen. n die liefst onverwachts tegen emotie © aan lopen.

ers die alles al hebben.

at we kopen, voorzien we nele behoefte. ons toe in de wereld van winnaars. maakt het leuten nog gezelliger. pas echt mee.

Complimentjes. Ze lijken zo eenvoudig te geven of te krijgen. In de praktijk is dat nog wel eens anders. Veel mensen vinden het helemaal niet makkelijk om iemand te zeggen dat’ie het zo goed doet. Terwijl anderen juist weer moeite hebben met het in ontvangst nemen van aanmoedigingen. Schouderklopjes© ruimen een barrière uit de weg. Voor zij die willen geven als zowel voor zij die krijgen.

zieke ziek ziek geest gees gees

Arno + Aleksander | e-mail campaign Arno and I developed an email campaign that gained us a fan base and followers within the advertising world. This created a demand for us as a freelance advertising team.

30/03/05 It had been a trend in the Netherlands for months: throwing a stone

e ke ke ten sten sten or paving stone from a viaduct at underpassing traffic.

17/06/05 Michael Jackson was just acquitted of the abuse of underage

children. We had our own thoughts about that. The shoot in the

schoolyard in Lelystad made parents angry and aggressively chased

us away. Fortunately we had enough images to make a compilation.

17/07/05 The term bukake suddenly popped up everywhere.

16/08/05 We let you know that we could be hired during the holiday period.

08/09/05 There were many terrorist attacks at that time. And the story went that martyrs in heaven received 72 virgins.

21/10/05 There was a lot of fear about the new bird flu. 01/01/06 Happy New Year.

Only true contact can spread the love virus If we leave our handprint in a petri dish, colonies develop over time so that a colorful whole of shapes is created and the handprint becomes visible again. I faked a development of love colonies in this petri dish with my flowers. If we have to spread a virus, then at least let’s spread a love virus. Because the world can use that. I certainly do.

May the force be with you

Dare to be different

#private #personal #individual

#own #secluded #intimate #discretionary

#exclusive #independent #non-public

“Every a new be

y day is eginning”

the best thing about staying soft is that you are so much harder to break.

Bio Initially I started my creative career as a photographer and concept maker. A professional experience that will shape my artistic career later on. As a child I was an avid flower lover. Over the years I have remained fascinated by the positivity and joy that flowers bring. And also because of the complex shapes and intense colors in their diversity. An interest that has remained to this day.

What started as a hobby in my young life became the inspiration for my development as an artist. I make my compositions with different types of flowers that were photographed individually. Based on my floral archives, I create modern still lifes for a contemporary audience. My artworks bring a cheerful view of the world to the viewer in the so-called information age. A time when we are inundated with news and content every day, because that is the reality in large parts of our society.

That is why it is becoming more and more attractive to dream away from our daily routine. “Welcome to the world of happiness, of beautiful, happy and cheerful. Feel carefree and positive. Go soft and loving in a harsh society full of frustration, lust, greed and jealousy”. It is my aim to ‘disguise’ the badness in the world by letting you experience my ‘feel good’ art.

Lovers of contemporary art, especially pop art and street art, will discover in my artwork that I find my inspiration in contemporary and modern artists such as Banksy, Mr. Brainwash, Takashi Murakami, Andy Warhol, Invader, Basquiat, Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons. From one I appreciate the social involvement and holding up a mirror to society. Of the other I admire the predilection for iconic figures and of the third the simplicity of the two-dimensional almost graphic design in the execution. My appreciation for the commercial approach of nearly all of my sources of inspiration may betray my own corporate advertising background.

My own art always shows a personal involvement with the world around me. It exposes something, arises from an astonishment or a philosophy of life. In any case, every work has a story, my story. That is always a condition for me to determine whether a work of art will see the light of day.

One of the advantages of my concept - and thus perhaps unintentionally an example of my commercial preference - is that it lends itself to making works of art ‘on request’ without compromising the artistic value, as long as it remains committed. If a lover of my work is fond of red roses, white daisies or pink gerberas, I will make a work of art for him or her with red roses, white daisies or pink gerberas. It is my mission to make my audience ‘happy’ with my work. And by responding to their wishes, I am even more able to make that happen.

This book shows in all vulnerability who I am now and where I now stand as an artist. I hope it inspires others again.

- Aleksander -