Black Sun, 2019
Denny Stoekenbroek
Charcoal on paper
Original Artwork, 42 x 59 cm
Unique Edition, 1 of 1
Denny Stoekenbroek
Expert's
Perspective
As if life was in black and white, an aesthetic decor of opposites where human portraits seem to stare persistently only to catch your attention; besides there is always a story to be told. The absence of colour sets new rules and nocturnal narrations, where pure black can exist in nature without any light. This entirely achromatic reality is often associated with a melancholic formality and sophistication, and even with a subconscious desire to dive into the unknown.
White is only invited as an approach to attract light, balance and reinvent yourself throughout the opposite polarities of Earth. The art of Denny Stoekenbroek is the definition of purity, where all faces and places reveal their genuine nature. With charcoals, he tries to show the uniqueness of humans in each of his compositions. His hyperrealist style unmasks the true soul and brings value and appreciation of all that surrounds us.
This artist is a realistic searcher of essence, a nostalgic hunter of lost elegance and class. He has no fear to turn his back to the modern complex world, where colours and fake lights have replaced real beauty and clarity. He doesn't need to elaborate or explain, simplicity comes as liberation in this new state of being. No limitations nor distractions, just people, situations, places and many other things having their positive and negative characteristics. You are simply left to chose between light and darkness and perhaps find some comfort in all the infinite grey shades of your life.Kelly Kaimaki, Creative Writer / Curator
About Denny Stoekenbroek
The Dutch artist Denny Stoekenbroek is first and foremost a portrait artist. Beginning with painting about ten years ago, he definitively confirmed his desire to create with drawings. With charcoals, he tries to show the uniqueness of humans in each of his compositions. His hyperrealist style unites the natural with a vintage aesthetic taken from black and white photographic portraits. Indeed, the artist is principally interested in the light and its contrasts. Self-taught, he trained himself through drawing to produce a real representation guided by nuances of black and white. The looks, the hair, and the facial characteristics, therefore, become true expressive concerns.
Later, Denny Stoekenbroek turned towards urban landscapes, still with a charcoal technique with infinite effects. Skyscrapers, avenues, cars, or trams, therefore, sketch a man-made décor. His silhouette, placed in the portraits, goes into action in these new compositions to create movement. The facial expression, therefore, becomes the expression of a whole body, which hurriedly crosses the road or takes shelter from the rain. The emphatic contrasts underline the importance of light in the artist’s practice, a unique and authentic indicator of time passing.