Creative Creation series means van Veen is back

In Frank van Veen’s book of Genesis, there are actually nine days of creation. Spurred by a recent religious discussion in which he participated, he felt this was finally the time for him to put a show together on one of his favourite topics.

“The subject is there but you don’t always get to push to that next level where you start making images.”

As Christian as Genesis – a Visual Account of Creation is, it can still be enjoyed and appreciated for the amount of work van Veen put into it.

Before God said, “Let there be light,” the painter calls that Day Zero. It looks pretty dark and chaotic with hints of what could be, like small patches of carpet visible under a pile of stuff in a messy room.

Then there are Days One to Seven with flashes of light, colours, clouds, planets, earth and the animals, including two people lounging around naked under a tree.

After God finished his work, he took a day for rest and celebration. The scene shows a sandy beach with lounge chairs and a palm tree.

The local artist has nine large scale paintings — actually diptychs framed together — with one for each day. Day Eight is actually only viewable from the outside in the right hand display window. It depicts the rest of time, what he calls the adventure of humankind. This is the only one that isn’t a diptych.

“There’s a reason it’s one piece. We’re working towards that coming together again, that reconciliation with God.”

This exhibit is a big deal for the resident artist at the Visual Arts Studio Association Gallery on Perron Street. It’s a big subject too, one that’s been on his radar.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time,” he admitted.

The actual practice of putting brush to canvas, however, only took him about six months. That means he was turning over a new work less than every three weeks. It’s even more impressive when you consider the size — each one measures 157.5 cm by 107 cm (62” by 42”).

The man covered more than 535,000 sq. cm of canvas. Certainly, he deserves a day of rest himself but who knows when his easel will beckon?

“I see it as a calling. I’ve purposefully not signed anything because it’s the painting that’s important and what comes out of it. When I paint something, it’s not necessarily me but it’s me that made it. I dare say that God inspired me.

“Without getting too theological about it, what’s important is what I produce and what I produce is important. I dare say it’s prophetic.”

They’re visually very interesting paintings with a lot going on and a lot of rich symbolism, especially for those who have studied the Bible. To that end, he also hopes to put the show on the road, offering to display it in churches and schools.