The colorful paintings of Jan Pieter Fokkens transport us to distant worlds beyond our comprehension. Within seemingly infinite networks of lines, dots, and crosses, he decodes the recognizable to create something unfamiliar.
Each two-dimensional work begins with a photo captured by a deep-space telescope. Despite their photographic realism, “these beautiful images of outer space are not real,” says Fokkens. “They are contrived to show us some utopian sci-fi landscape — as though one could stare at them from a field of grass on a nearby planet. What is real is the sense of wonder they emit.” Colorized to convey depth and scale, such images have already been altered to make impossible sights more easily consumable.
With the aid of custom algorithms, Fokkens further manipulates the “fake pixels” of these images, extracting qualities such as pattern, form, and color. He then hand-paints these abstracted qualities as isolated points on canvas. Despite his methodical process, his paintings honor a romantic sense of beauty and capture the sense of longing and wonder one feels when they look out at the stars.
Inspired by early non-representational art, Fokkens treats his abstractions as a means of manipulating reality. Up-close, they might remind us of modernist paintings by the likes of Seurat or Mondrian. There is movement in the still image – moments within the composition that shift in and out of sight, that obscure and reveal the longer you look. Endlessly generating new experiences of perspective, Fokkens’s paintings challenge our perceptions and allow us to peer into other worlds.
Find original Jan Pieter Fokkens paintings on 1stDibs.
"Study for Caldwell 49" by Jan Pieter Fokkens
By Jan Pieter Fokkens
Located in Chicago, IL
The colorful paintings of Jan Pieter Fokkens transport us to distant worlds beyond our comprehension. Within seemingly infinite networks of lines, dots, and crosses, he decodes the r...
Paint, Canvas
"E0102-72.3" by Jan Pieter Fokkens
By Jan Pieter Fokkens
Located in Chicago, IL
The colorful paintings of Jan Pieter Fokkens transport us to distant worlds beyond our comprehension. Within his seemingly infinite networks of lines, dots, and crosses, he decodes t...
Paper
"Study for SWEEPS" by Jan Pieter Fokkens
By Jan Pieter Fokkens
Located in Chicago, IL
Inspired by images of deep space, computer compression algorithms, and early non-representational art, Chicago-based artist Jan Pieter Fokkens uses the tangible qualities of pattern and color to interpret unimaginable sights. Entitled "Study for SWEEPS," this work offers a representation of the Sagittarius Window Eclipsing Extrasolar Planet Search, Hubble’s seven-day-long survey of 180,000 stars in order to detect extrasolar planets. Using data from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope...
Paper
"Study for SWEEPS" by Jan Pieter Fokkens
By Jan Pieter Fokkens
Located in Chicago, IL
The colorful paintings of Jan Pieter Fokkens transport us to distant worlds beyond our comprehension. Within seemingly infinite networks of lines, dots, and crosses, he decodes the r...
Canvas
“Weird Adventure” by Jan Pieter Fokkens
By Jan Pieter Fokkens
Located in Chicago, IL
Chicago-based artist Jan Pieter Fokkens uses his work as a means of processing the incomprehensible. Navigating the relationship between algorithmic abstraction and the tangible qualities of pattern and color, Fokkens meditates on how we as viewers negotiate our realities. Entitled "Weird Adventure," this diptych depicts a still from the Italian Classic film...
Canvas
"NGC-3201" by Jan Pieter Fokkens
By Jan Pieter Fokkens
Located in Chicago, IL
Chicago-based artist Jan Pieter Fokkens uses his work as a means of processing the incomprehensible. Navigating the relationship between algorithmic abstraction and the tangible qualities of pattern and color, Fokkens meditates on how reality is mediated by digital image. Entitled "NGC-3201," this vibrant drawing offers a representation of the globular cluster NGC-3201. Using an image taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble...
Paper
"Study for Event Horizon, " Archival Ink on Paper, 2020
By Jan Pieter Fokkens
Located in Chicago, IL
The colorful paintings of Jan Pieter Fokkens transport us to distant worlds beyond our comprehension. Within seemingly infinite networks of lines, dots, and crosses, he decodes the r...
Archival Ink, Photographic Paper
"E0102-72.3, " Pigment Ink on Photo Paper
By Jan Pieter Fokkens
Located in Chicago, IL
The colorful paintings of Jan Pieter Fokkens transport us to distant worlds beyond our comprehension. Within his seemingly infinite networks of lines, dots, and crosses, he decodes the recognizable to create something unfamiliar. Each work begins with a colorized photo captured by a deep-space...
Ink, Photographic Paper
"Study for SWEEPS, " Pigment Ink on Photo Paper
By Jan Pieter Fokkens
Located in Chicago, IL
The colorful paintings of Jan Pieter Fokkens transport us to distant worlds beyond our comprehension. Within seemingly infinite networks of lines, dots, and crosses, he decodes the recognizable to create something unfamiliar. Each work begins with a colorized photo captured by a deep-space telescope...
Ink, Photographic Paper
"NGC-3201, " Pigment Ink on Paper
By Jan Pieter Fokkens
Located in Chicago, IL
Chicago-based artist Jan Pieter Fokkens uses his work as a means of processing the incomprehensible. Navigating the relationship between algorithmic abstraction and the tangible qualities of pattern and color, Fokkens meditates on how reality is mediated by digital image. Entitled "NGC-3201," this vibrant drawing offers a representation of the globular cluster NGC-3201. Using an image taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope...
Archival Ink, Photographic Paper
"The Adventure, " Archival Ink on Canvas, 2019
By Jan Pieter Fokkens
Located in Chicago, IL
Chicago-based artist Jan Pieter Fokkens uses his work as a means of processing the incomprehensible. Navigating the relationship between algorithmic abstraction and the tangible qualities of pattern and color, Fokkens meditates on how we as viewers negotiate our realities. Entitled "The Adventure," this vibrant drawing depicts a still from the Italian classic film...
Archival Ink, Canvas
Lenticular 'Four Square' Artwork by Bruce Reinfeld, 2020s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This mesmerizing artwork is certain to bring any wall to life. Four squares in shades of pink, orange, purple, and green are colored in halftones, reminiscent of 20th century Pop Ar...
Plastic
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