FLORA DELIGHT
DISCOVER JOKE FRIMA
Joke Frima (1952) studied between 1969 and 1974 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rotterdam and Tilburg in The Netherlands. Here, however, she did not find what she was looking for. In 1976 she decided to volunteer at Studio Simi in Florence in Italy where she was taught by signorina Simi, an ancient lady who was taught by her father in the classic disciplines. These influences are reflected in the way Joke Frima works. She starts with a charcoal drawing on the prepared canvas on panel. After loose charcoal is knocked, the rest is firmly rubbed into the pores of the surface with a stiff brush with undiluted paint. This results in a composition that, in vague shapes and colors, resembles the desired end result. Then she paints her canvases wet on wet with oilpaint. The harmonious colors are important in the work of Joke Frima. The shades of color are carefully balanced in order to achieve the right color ratios. They are part of the composition.
Joke Frima paints still lifes of plants and objects from her studio. In her plant still lifes she shows nature that has not yet been picked clean and robbed by human hands. She looks for ordinary things that have something unique, such as a field nasturtiums, bunched strawberry plants or a dandelion. The canvas is painted as if we look at it up close: a close-up of a piece usually inconspicuous nature. The boundaries of what we see is out of the picture: the entire area is filled with stems, leaves and flowers. The usual, unsightly is even more highlighted. Dry leaves or wilted flowers are displayed as accurate as the green, fresh shoots and buds, as if the artist wants to say that every piece of the plant is important, not only its beautiful flowers or fruits. With an everyday topic she raises awareness for rhythm, calmness, balance and focus on the ordinary. The objects che choses have no direct relation with each other but appear together for their shape and color.
"Painting for me is like breathing, it would be very disadvantageous for me to stop doing so."