Marieken Cochius Solo Exhibition

Sat, Feb 13 - Sun, Mar 6  2016

From February 13 until March 6, Dutch artist Marieken Cochius has a solo exhibition, “Invisible Nature,” at the Matteawan Gallery in Beacon, New York.

About the Exhibition

“Invisible Nature” features three distinct bodies of Cochius’ work: ink and shellac drawings; a large drawing made with water-based mediums, pastel, charcoal, and pencil on paper; and the “Cloud” series of drawings with graphite and pastel. The most recent works in the exhibition are the ink and shellac drawings. In these one can see Chochius’ love of the directness of drawing and the poetry and sensuality of she calls “the inerasable line.” For this series she explored using liquid and color while working with and against chance. Split-second decisions were necessary to balance the organic movement of the liquid medium. Since all inks behave differently, Cochius chooses each one based on its density and the way it dries: fading like vapor or growing like a root system. 

Cochius is most interested in the tension between what is present and what is sensed but cannot be touched. She is inspired by the origins of life, where energy is temporarily contained in order for a transformation to occur. Her work refers to the chaos of the natural world, where everything seems to be in flux. Yet within this chaos there are systems and networks in place that can be glimpsed if one knows where to look. Accordingly, Cochius creates lines and textures that resemble organic structures, and her drawings change when viewed from different angles or in changing light. 

Surface and texture of materials are very important to Cochius. The paper she uses in her large drawings is manufactured in the Netherlands by a mill that has been in operation since 1622. In her “Clouds” series miniscule lines are created with feathers instead of brushes. 

About Marieken Cochius

Born in the Netherlands, Marieken Cochius studied art at the Art Academy St. Joost, Breda, but has lived and worked in New York City since 1987, and in the Hudson Valley since 2013. Her work encompasses drawing, painting, and sculpture. She has exhibited nationally as well as in the Netherlands, Germany, and Japan.