Visual artist and illustrator Maaike Bakker works in various drawing, sculpture, installation and digital mediums. Having collaborated with the David Krut Workshop (DKW) in 2021, Maaike returned this year with a solo exhibition An answer to an unknown question showcasing various unique works on paper from which the David Krut Projects team has chosen a print for this month’s edition of Print of the month. Maaike worked with printer Kim-Lee Loggenberg who guided her through a process of merging works that she had made in her own studio with the prints that are made at the David Krut Workshop. It is this collaborative process between printer and artist that results in an exciting, interactive and conversational body of work.
Maaike created the print Nothing is independent from its circumstances during her 2021 DKW residency. Nothing is independent from its circumstances is a watercolour monotype with collage and handwork that aptly depicts Maaike’s use of visual story telling in her art-making that is precise and creates compositions that have energy and a sense of movement as she makes use of shapes and colour. With the help of experienced printer Kim-Lee this edition of Print of the month dissects Maaike’s work Nothing is independent of its circumstances and explains the artist’s process and intent.
When taking a step back, the artwork appears as if it is depicting a gigantic element being split into all it various particles and Maaike composes them into a complete and wholesome element.
For Nothing is independent from its circumstances Maaike has chosen to leave the background blank white and then gradually added layer upon layer. Maaike started experimenting with coloured chine collé additions in different areas, adding cut-out pieces and planning their arrangement underneath the plates. The thin Japanese papers used for chine collé were hand-coloured by the printers using either watercolour or solid silkscreen colours. Maaike used a combination of these papers, some with additional drawn marks, and solid black and dark blue papers to incorporate flat colour and sharp-edged shapes.
The spider diagram below shows each layer of the watercolour monotype and its various processes:
To learn more about Maaike’s practice listen to the podcast where Britt Lawton and Maaike discuss art, music and her experience in the David Krut Workshop.
Visit Maaike Bakker’s Viewing Room on the David Krut Portal
More about Maaike Bakker:
Maaike has a degree in Visual Arts (2009) and an MA in Fine Art (2013) from the University of Johannesburg. She teaches and coordinates the Visual Communication Honours programme at Open Window Institute in Pretoria. She is also a practicing curator and the co-founder of a local gallery called No End Gallery.