The Birth of Air Castles
2022 / Oil on linen (aluminium stretchers) / 210 x 160 x 2,5 cm
The works are amongst others inspired by the poems Van de Graaf wrote in the preparatory phase of the series.
Poem written by the artist on the 10th of May 2022 (translated by the artist from the Dutch original)
‘The Alchemy of Dreams – poem 4’
Dreams pass through the skies,
fly along sharp royal blue celestial vaults,
along the sight of the red-orange sunset,
whose glow the clouds make shine of fulfilment.
Changes in form and appearance,
through chosen paths in life,
the world puts the vision of the air castle to the test.
So willing is the world, unconsciously, to turn the dream into rain,
and clutter down to the ground,
to vaporise in the earth.
Only the one who is able to keep the soul of the dream alive long enough,
will be able to turn the air castle into reality.
In the birth of the dream,
she transforms the defeated rain,
examined by the light rays of the sun,
into the most beautiful rainbow, and will unleash the treasure on earth.
(Dutch original)
Dromen doorvoeren de luchten,
scheren langs scherpe koningsblauwe hemelgewelven,
langs het aanzicht van de rood-oranje ondergaande zon,
wiens gloed de wolken doen stralen van voldoening.
Veranderingen in vorm en gedaante,
door gekozen paden in het leven,
stelt de wereld het droombeeld van het luchtkasteel op de proef.
Zo graag wil de wereld, onbewust, de droom tot regen maken,
en neer laten kletteren op de grond,
om te verdampen in de aarde.
Slechts degene die de ziel van de dromen lang genoeg levend weet te houden,
zal het luchtkasteel tot werkelijkheid kunnen maken.
In de geboorte van de droom,
transformeert ze de overwonnen regen,
geschouwd door de lichtstralen van de zon,
in de mooiste regenboog, en zal de schat op aarde ontketent worden.
