'Dream paintings'

The dream as a subject of painting, representing a dream in an image is not that simple. Getting into the world of dreams is not tangible and from a certain point of view surreal. When reading out a recorded dream as a story, all kind of images and representations will cross your mind.

Petra has been writing down her dreams for more then ten years now. The multiplicity of images she found in these 'books of dreams' inspired her to transpose these images on canvas.

It was difficult for her to make a choice out of hundreds of these stories and transforming the imaginary and surreal into concrete, figurative images. Her aim was to surprise the observer and drag him into her world of divergent subject and colour compositions but above all a structure of alienation and estrangement; the 'dream painting'. Quit a different experience.

A beautiful example of her work is the canvas depicting an Open Window and Swimming Pigs It is composed out of distinct elements and multiple dreams. The crows, pigs and the diving girl have no significance or importance in relation to each other Several elements are recomposed into a new fantastic story in her mind. In that process there must have been an urgent desire for empty space, wideness. Consequently I feel she uses the water as a metaphor for unlimited space and the flying birds for personal freedom. The window, yet in slightly dark colours, is wide open. The diving girl represents, in my opinion, purity and sound chastity.

With its cyclic composition, in which none of the elements attracts the viewer's full attention, the painting invites to ongoing and variable elucidations and interpretations. Theoretically the variety of subjects can be narrowed down to a theme. However, the comparison of the paintings will not be easy nor has it been a goal.

It's not a requirement to understand the 'Dream painting' as a dream itself nor is it an explanation for a certain series of thoughts and visions which occur during dreaming. Petra hopes to create an atmosphere in her work in which the spectator will lose himself in his own dream.

Robert Verhaaf, Anton Gregoire, February 2012