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Der Schacht

Marcel van Beek

2012 • Germany • Acrylic on Canvas

39 x 28 in

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Marcel van Beek

Germany

Artist highlights

Favorited by galleries
Featured in gallery curations
Works on commission

Discover the creation in interiors

Artwork details

Medium : Acrylic on Canvas
Other details : Artwork on supported wooden frame. Artwork framed.
Dimensions : 39.4x27.6in

About this artwork

I paint the shaft as an inner place—we are not standing at the edge, but already inside it. Damp, cold walls, a harsh light from above, the gaze drawn downward. The figure is my counterpart and my self: drawn from the outside, wounded by storms and attacks, it seeks refuge here. The animalistic alienation of the body and the perspective pull into the depth of the image create an uneasy feeling of exposure. The shaft is both a dungeon and a shelter.… I reduce the means—earthy grays and cold tones, a single cone of light—to maintain the tension between surrender and resistance; not a pose, but a state. The space sucks, but it also holds.
For me, the work stands in the tradition of existential painting, which doesn't settle for narrative but creates atmosphere—and demands a response from the viewer. It's a picture that not only wants to be seen, but also experienced.

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Marcel van Beek

Germany

Credentials

Favorited by galleries
Featured in gallery curations
Works on commission

Marcel van Beek works with photography, painting, and graphic design, drawing on his artistic background from his studies at the Alanus University of Art and Social Sciences. His technique combines pictorialist influences with romantic-symbolist imagery. His photographs embody contemporary fine art photography and conceptual photography, often featuring monochrome recolors in tertiary colors.

He creates a poetic visual language interested in forms and structures, combining this with a modern, conceptual approach that claims social relevance. In his works, he explores inner and outer landscapes, conveying feelings of longing and threat, as well as a fascination with the hidden. He has published various art publications (most recently "World of Water," 2025), which are represented internationally in academy and museum libraries (including Vienna, Basel, Düsseldorf, and Berlin).

More: www.marcelvanbeek.de

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Marcel van Beek

Der Schacht

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