Art Space Talk: Tim Ceustermans-Deschepper

I recently interviewed Tim Ceustermans-Deschepper. When I first observerved Mr. Ceustermans-Deschepper's work I found that his conceptual art demands viewers to think about time and the advancement of humankind.

Mr. Ceustermans-Deschepper's work seems to ask, "Where are we going and how are we going to get there?". I was most impressed with his pieces, 'The Ideas That Surround Me' and 'Transformation' (Both can be seen on Mr. Ceustermans-Deschepper's myartspace.com gallery.)

Mr. Ceustermans-Deschepper combines the visual with the written word. United, these two aspects of his work scream a message to society. Through critical thinking the observer can hear the message loud and
clear.

Q. Where can we find your work on myartspace.com?

A. "loginname: timcd"

Q. When did you first discover that art would be an important part of your adult life?

A. "briefly: I was about twelve years old when I started writing poetry, as so many youngsters do at that age. But quickly I started to realise that it meant more than a temporary phase. To play and to give content to words was a welcome manner to do something with my creativity .

A few years later I started painting. First in a abstract way and slowly but surely I evolved towards figurative work. Then at the age of twenty-four I made my first conceptual work. These were all evident steps in my artistic evolution. The conceptual work with its oneliners is a combination of language, form and images. It is a synthesis of all the things I have done before.

In the mean time I held lectures, organised lectures, participated in several things, met some interesting people, so it all came step by step."

Q. How has creating art shaped you professionally and personally?

A. "I wake up with it and I go to bed with it.
When I was young I really had to fight for my choice for art. Now my environment realises that I work hard for it and that I'm consequent and step outside with results."

Q. How has society influenced your art? Are there any social implications in your art?

A. "My work talks a lot about consciousness and approaches towards people, life and society. So there is a big influence of daily life in my work.

I translate the motives of certain decisions or give alternatives. My interests and concerns are the reflections about mankind, society and it's environment."

Q. What are your artistic influences? Has anyone inspired you?

A. "I life in the land of Rubens, Magritte, the flemish Primitives, Panamarenko, etc. So there is a constant confrontation with art.

Dali is one of my old sources, of course. but I also like to refer to Anish Kapoor, Richard Deacon, Annemie van Kerkhoven, etc..

I am also inspired by architecture. The work of Frank Lloyd Wright and his student John Lautner,for example or Zaha Hadid, marvellious.

You can call me a big consumer when it comes to good art, from movie to architecture, to contemporary concepts of art. But, I am very critical."

Q. Tell me a little about your background. Are your past experiences reflected in the work you do today? If so, how?

A. "I was a kid that was always part of a group, but never felt close to it. For me it was interesting to go from one group to another. Diversity attracted me more!

I left home quite early to seek for more independence, I guess.

I am a perfectionist, due to my father's psychological approach. It was, actually, never good enough. I analysed a lot and used the anger, coming out of it, to set up my own goals: a mix of ideological dreams and reality. In my work you can find traces of this.

Injustice, obstructions, false information, stupidity are all human faults, but I am interested in how mankind can solve them. What are the mechanisms, what are the needs, the causing factors, the processes that one brings to a higher level of consciousness."

Q. If you could pinpoint the characteristics of people who collect your art, what would they be?

A. "Hard to say: rich of course ( hahaha), no, no, more important is that they are very, very open minded."

Q. Do you have an upcoming exhibit? If so, where and when?

A. "The latest years I spent more time in my atelier. I just finished my port-folio, so I'm ready to undertake some action, now."

Q. Where do you see your art in 10 years? What are your plans?

A. "To let it grow naturally. Of course, I would like to work on a international level. Artistic interventions in buildings, squares and to work temporary in different places are always been my aims."

Q. Discuss one of your pieces. What were you thinking when you created it? What is your artistic process?

A. "Aim or target is one of my favourite works. I cut this tree in the garden of my sister, put it in the basement for a year until it was dry. Then I stripped and manufactured it. It has the form of a projectile. Aim or target treats the subject of projecting, also desire and dream. A target for me is a short distance projection, often a hard one too, while an aim is something you evolve to. They both demand another approach, another sense. Still both sorts of goals can be found in one person, so it's a dualistic question I reveal with this. Thinking about which choice you would make is at the same time considering your motives and comparing them with other's motives.

Maybe, due to its form, it refers also to war, bombing, … Aim or target is the why-they-are-doing-it question.

Are they short-minded, narrow-minded, could they not be less destructive to reach their goal? What do they embrace, the decision makers?

But it also can be discussed on the level of employers and employees. The impact of all the small decisions, all the targets can it be linked with a larger goal? What is the most important thing, etcetera....

During the process of making this work all this questions arouse about the duality of making a choice and the consequences afterwards."

Q. Why did you choose the medium(s) that you use?

A. "Language was my first concrete form of _expression.

Painting is giving me the possibility to build up an idea step by step, to experience with colour, form and content.

In my conceptual art I can work with a larger tender of materials and of course three-dimensional."

Q. Do you have a degree or do you plan to attend school for art?

A. "No. I feel good being an autodidact."

Q. Where can we see more of your art? Are you involved with other websites? Do you have a personal website?

A. "www.yba.be ( in dutch and without pictures)
and different small links if you google"

Q. Are you represented by a gallery? If not, do you want to be?

A. "I was working with Jorg Hasenbach gallery in Antwerp ( Belgium) until he disappeared from the Antwerp scene.

The market in Antwerp or Berlin seems to be quite protective at this moment, but yes I like to get on with one."

Q. How many pieces have you sold in your career?

A. "A dozen, but this is not a reference. I have done a lot of things in the cultural world: from lectures, setting up a theatre play, to co-ordinate artistic projects and, even a task as member of the cultural board in the city of Antwerp fill up my curriculum."

Q. Why do you create art?

A. "personaly: I always tell my friends that art is a virus I am infected with, but wish not to be cured from.

It is like breathing, eating, drinking and having sex for me.

I would be pleased if the results evoke communication and consciousness and a thrill for life. My aim is always to create an image that ends up in the memory and becomes a reference. An image that causes insight."

I hope you have enjoyed learning about this Tim and his work. Feel free to observe his myartspace.com gallery by typing timcd below 'Find by login name or name' and clicking on 'Find'.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin