Visual designer based in Amsterdam Chitske Oosterholt I have worked with a wide range of clients in the electronic underground music industry. This beautiful and mysterious work that combines analog and digital technology caught my eye.
I was interested in her mysterious and abstract work, so I asked her to hear more about the stories behind her work and what life was like during this strange time when the music industry was at a standstill. I contacted her for this.
You have some interesting clients. How did you become a visual artist in the underground music industry?
I have to give credit to social media here (lol) or I guess it’s just synergy or fate. All the people I’ve worked with so far, I didn’t know before, somehow found me and there’s a huge connection between their music and vision and my work, and vice versa. That’s what I felt. When I was younger, I made more music than I did art, and I feel like the way I work is closely related to the way musicians work, so in that sense, the music industry influenced my visual style. It feels very logical that it is a place where work ends. Same goes for up.
Since the music industry is on pause, I was wondering if this has affected your work as well?
Sure, some things were delayed, but I never sat still. I started an experience design studio with the team at ISOTOOP (one of the music platforms I work with a lot since last year). I am primarily responsible for the entire identity. It’s good to know that such a strange period can also be a time to start something new. Like probably many people, the last few months have been a time of reflection, and I feel it’s time to make some changes to the way I work. I’ve been wanting to cut down on digital work for a while and get back to the physical side of making things. I just moved into a new studio and feel like I’m finally ready to jump into this new direction.
As a visual artist, do you consider yourself a visual storyteller?
I’m afraid not. In fact, I try to avoid figurative references as much as possible. For me, my work is an interaction between me and the material, a very intuitive process. I don’t want to think ahead of time about what the end result will be. In that sense, it doesn’t feel like you’re telling a story. Because it means you know what direction you’re going. It sets the stage or creates an atmosphere that can enhance a particular idea or emotion, especially when combined with music. It’s probably visual storytelling in a way, but it’s not a story that can be translated into something verbal, it’s something that exists only in matter and stands on its own.
![Where analog and digital meet by Tjitske Oosterholt [READY]](https://trendland.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/where-analog-meets-digital-by-tjitske-oosterholt-14-770x1155.jpg "Where analog and digital meet by tjitske oosterholt 14")
Ken Pereira portrait
Can you tell us a little about the stories you create by combining analog and digital techniques?
It’s all about trying to push any discipline to its limits, trying to reproduce or imitate natural processes, and creating a sense of unreality in it that confuses the viewer and, if possible, keeps them coming back for more. It’s about trying to add something that you can get. I always start with analog material and process it digitally, sometimes in large quantities, sometimes in very small quantities. It is both a tribute to nature and a question about our role in changing it. I think it is important for us to be more aware of our position in relation to the natural world, not just living alongside it, but being part of it.
Your work has a very important style, but the color palette is very diverse. What is your signature style?
I think it’s very interesting because I’ve heard this story since I entered art school, but it’s not something I did intentionally. I think the most important thing about my work is that I always want to develop myself and work with techniques, colors and materials that I don’t know yet. For me, it’s important to keep changing and experimenting, but also because I don’t want to be an artist known only for a certain type of activity, but mainly because it keeps me interested in myself. Because you can. It is characterized by a mental problem rather than an actual repeated technique.The fact that I’m making it is always clearly there, and I guess that’s what I can do. do not have Hahaha.
Can you tell us a little more about the process of developing your personal style?
I studied graphic design, which is actually a very concept-based field, so I see the development of my work as a kind of reaction to that. As I said earlier, I like this space where I don’t know what’s going to happen. Thanks to it, you will be more aware of what is happening in front of you and will be able to react to the materials used. This means a lot of things are happening that I didn’t expect, and I’m not always comfortable taking credit for my creations. As I always like to say, artists are not masterminds, they are just people with endless curiosity. I think it’s important to take this humble position in developing your work. I feel like even though I know I’m creating the work, I’m still learning from it.
Are there any collaborations you would like to do in the future? Who are you planning to do it with?
I’m really excited about this project I did with fashion label Pinkorangeclub and their SS21 collection. They want to use clothing as a way to showcase art in a more accessible way. In the future, I would like to develop more collaborations with fashion brands and textiles. I’m already considering the possibility of starting to create my own textile pieces. In my work, I always try to find connections with everyday life and things that are familiar to me as a human being, so my interest in works of art that can be used has increased. I’m also taking some courses in ceramics, which I love, so I’d like to see what I can do with glazes as well. I’m curious to see how my experimental and ever-changing way of working connects to these types of practices. It’s about finding ways to connect materials with a production process that have a life of their own, so to speak.
Are there any projects you are working on or planning for 2021 that you would like to share with us?
To be honest, I’m not very good at planning and I like to take things as they come. Unfortunately, I don’t have anything special to talk about other than a lot of dreams.
Thank you for taking the time to take us into your creative world and thoughts. Since you have such a strong connection to music, could you name the perfect soundtrack to describe the past few months for you?
TjitskeOosterhold.com
@TjitskeOosterholt
