by Aukje Dekker
Stick or Twist is a term that originated in card games. You can keep your cards (stick) or take the risk of losing and play for more (twist).
When is a painting finished? A collaboration between the artist and 20 buyers.
Twenty art buyers agreed to purchase a blank canvas by Aukje Dekker on which a work of art created in stages. With the assistance of painters David Kc Moir, Jepster Weijzig, and Matthew Day, she created twenty identical paintings. One for each participant. All paintings started (almost) identical and were continued step by step. When the work reached the next phase, a photo of this stage was posted on the website. And with each phase, it was up to each individual buyer to decide: stop (stick) or continue (twist). However, each new phase cost the buyer €50 on top of the €150 for the blank canvas.
If a buyer decided the painting was complete, they clicked "stick". One buyer could stop, while the other buyers were still waiting and continuing. If one buyer decided that his painting was finished, this was the final version of one of the twenty paintings. During the creation process, buyers could post comments to try to influence the process. The number of steps in the creation process and what the final version of the painting was, depended on the extent to which the buyers stopped or continued, because the project stopped when everyone had bought.
During Stick or Twist, gallery Vriend van Bavink on Geldersekade was Aukje Dekker's studio. The studio could be visited by appointment. The project concluded with a finissage. The project as a whole, with all its steps and the corresponding buyers, was released as a catalog, which was part of the work and all buyers receive it with their painting.
“Stick or Twist komt voort uit een frustratie met kunst die ‘af’ is. Het maken van een kunstwerk is vaak een lange weg. Een vooropgezet plan blijkt niet te werken of inspiratie geeft juist nieuwe invalshoeken. Als ik schilder ga ik vele malen door een fase waarin ik moet besluiten of een doek de goede kant op gaat. Vaak is doorgaan een goede beslissing, maar je kan ook te ver doorgaan en terug is nooit een optie. Ik begon na te denken over kunst in galeries, in musea, bij mensen thuis. Het werk is “af.” Het werk kan je raken of niet, maar je hebt er verder niets over te zeggen. Misschien is dat het ontroerende aan kunst, maar zou het niet mooi zijn als je er eens wel iets over te zeggen hebt? Daarom heb ik de kopers de mogelijkheid geboden om in te grijpen in het proces. Ze kunnen stoppen of doorgaan. Zo is niet alleen het doek zelf de kunst, maar ook de koper. Omdat die de beslissingen neemt.”
starting point
20 TWIST | 0 STICK
stage 1
19 TWIST | 1 STICK
stage 2
18 TWIST | 2 STICK
stage 3
17 TWIST | 3 STICK
stage 4
13 TWIST | 7 STICK
stage 5
11 TWIST | 9 STICK
stage 6
10 TWIST | 10 STICK
stage 7
8 TWIST | 12 STICK
stage 8
7 TWIST | 13 STICK
stage 9
5 TWIST | 15 STICK
stage 10
Stage 10 ( 1/5 ), 122 x 90 cm
4 TWIST | 16 STICK
stage 11
Stage 11 ( 1/4 ), 122 x 90 cm
4 TWIST | 16 STICK
stage 12
Stage 12 ( 1/4 ), 122 x 90 cm
3 TWIST | 17 STICK
stage 13
Stage 13 ( 1/3 ), 122 x 90 cm
2 TWIST | 18 STICK
stage 14
Stage 14 ( 1/2 ), 122 x 90 cm
1 TWIST | 19 STICK
stage 15
Stage 15 ( 1/1 ), 122 x 90 cm
1 TWIST | 19 STICK
stage 16
Stage 16 ( 1/1 ), 122 x 90 cm
1 TWIST | 19 STICK
stage 17
1 TWIST | 19 STICK
stage 18
0 TWIST | 20 STICK
participants
1. Roelien Hendriks
Producer Photography 100% halal
Lover of lipstick
2. Tom Trago
DJ, producer and founder of music label Voyage Direct
Lover of music, drugs, food, color fades, friends, well-executed bad humor
3. Toon den Heijer
Visual artist, G4
Lover of Glenn Gould, Infected Mushrooms and everything in between and beyond, so music, art, deserts, abstraction, especially zero and infinity.
4. Joost Janmaat
Co-founder of Partizan Public, Open Coop, historian, social entrepreneur and troubleshooter
Lover of Aukje Dekker
5. Bob Meijer
Owner of the Kattenkabinet on the Herengracht, entrepreneur
Cat lover
6. Bart Eysink Smeets
Art director at KesselsKramer
Animal lover
7. Wendela Scheltema
Founder Limboland.tv and IBBF (International Bunker Film Festival)
Lover of experimental art
8. Erik Gerritsen
Former director of the Concertgebouw, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and the Beurs van Berlage, among others.
Lover of good wine.
9. Bo Polak
Freelance film producer
Lover of radio documentaries
10. Kees Weeda,
Chairman of the Board of Witte de With Centre for Contemporary Art, member of the board of AvL-Mundo, former General Secretary of the Council for Culture and former Head of Cultural Affairs for the Municipality of Rotterdam.
A Rotterdam enthusiast .
11. Vincent Rietveld
Actor and artistic director of the theatre group De Warme Winkel.
Lover of caressing large groups of friends, of strong red wine, of hanging around in my office for long periods of time until the mice visit me, of my Bakelite toilet seat.
12. Barbara and Else Broekman
Visual artist & Tour Manager Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Lover of all or nothing
13. Pieter Kool
Industrial designer, Design Director 3D Design at G-Star RAW
Lover of people with a lot of self-reflection, who haven't become cynical, or at least not cynical, because of it. And of fried food in general and spring rolls in particular.
14. Peter van der Graaf & Nienke 's Gravemade
Head of Post-War & Contemporary Art Christie's Amsterdam & Writer and Actress
Lovers of Frasier, bratwurst & living room dance competitions
15. Melle Daamen,
Director of the Amsterdam City Theatre, council member of the Council for Culture, and former director of the Mondriaan Fund.
A lover of thinking.
16. Maartje Wortel
Writer and columnist
Lover of camping, girls, Opgezwolle, chocolate sprinkles, Rothko, Anton Chekhov, Jan Wolkers, Trees
17. Loes Luca
Actress for film, TV and theatre
Loves her neighbours
18. Gijs Naber & Thekla Reuten
Actors
Lover of
19. Brordus Bunder
Graphic Designer
Lover of old buildings, old boats, old chairs and drawing
20. Carl Everaert
Lawyer
Soldier Lover
21. Edo Dijksterhuis
Journalist
Lover of good art, crazy ideas, cold beer, hot weather