The Artist
Ever since I was born I held a pencil in my hand. It was evident that I would go to an Art Academy to become an artist, but nobody warned me that this meant no learning and lead into a life of praises and poverty.
From my earliest exhibitions on I liked to show theme-series.
After extended travels through Middle America I made a series about the MAYA ICONOGRAPHY.
Being fascinated by MOVIES and SHOWBIZ I created a portraitseries including Liza Minnelli, Eartha Kitt and Quentin Crisp. The works of the notorious Mathilde Willink appeared in books and tv-documentaries.
After the romance of poverty wore of – “there is a time to be artistic and a time to be realistic (Burt Reynolds)” – I started ILLUSTRATING. Hard work, but rewarding, as in a few years I learned more about painting, printing and bussiness than in all the academy years.
In 1995 I decided to return into the art world. PLAYFUL EROTICISM had become a major theme in my work and was an immediate success at the 1998 GayGames in Amsterdam. That year I also won First Prize Public Award during the Jesus Mystery Exhibition.
I think the appeal of my BODYSCAPES lies in the fact that I leave something to the imagination of the viewer. Everybody has his own beauty-ideal and I think it is the right, if not the obligation, of an artist to exploit his. But with discovering Caravaggio (thanks to Derek Jarman) I became more interested in dramatic paintings, hence a MYTHOLOGY series.
At that time the INTERNET came along. Through www.mauriceheerdink.com I became able to show my work world-wide and collectors from Alaska to New York to Paris started purchasing my work.
In 2004 I portrayed several DUTCH THEATER PERSONALITIES, followed by a series of SELF-PORTRAITS.
Since 2013 I became seriously interested in FILM and MUSIC and I started creating SOUNDSCAPES to accompany my WORKVIDEOS.
In November 2014 a collection of my work was published in the book THE ART OF MAURICE HEERDINK.
Spending more and more time in nature resulted in the WATERSCAPES.
In 2018 I met German artist RONNY STREHMANN. Our collaboration started making MUSIC VIDEOS and now focuses on FILMPROJECTS.
– Maurice Heerdink
Maurice paints, draws, illustrates, writes, films, composes, speaks and lives in The Netherlands.
VISITS TO HIS STUDIO GALLERY BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.