v&b (nl)

alex jacobs (1973, nl) and ellemieke schoenmaker (1968, nl) have been collaborating under the guise of villeroy & boch since 2007

alex jacobs won the royal prize for painting in 2008 and ellemieke schoenmaker primarily paints landscapes but is also a part of the amusingly
named trio kimberly clark (a personal care products brand mostly found in public restrooms).

In their still young existence, v&b have developed a unique and outspoken style.
they explore, in their paintings and installations, the commercial perception of contemporary art and the social frame in which art moves.

both painters are seamlessly connected to contemporary dutch but mostly german painting, in which realism, dark romanticism, cosmopolitism
and a candy colored version of the screw-you mentality of the eighties, is prominent.

their choice of material and color refer to a contemporary and visual culture.
these references mingle with symbolism from classic and western (art) history.
v&b explore the viewer’s frame of reference and perception, and invite us to analyze the layered quality of the work.


made possible with support from the dutch embassy in brussel.



           
   
      (c) vincent verbist // actionfields gallery 2009