“Excavations expanded no 02” by Detlef Gotzens
Limbo by Marysa Eve
Limbo is a recent release by folk singer-songwriter Marysa Eve. The name says it all; it is a sort of lullaby for the perpetually restless. She wrote it while living in Florida last winter; the lines written as a love story unfolded itself around her.
A Window into DEGO
by Phillipe Aubry
(Article translated from the original French)
DEGO, Detlef Gotzens’ multi-medium artwork is solid and unmatched, the product of a long and varied career in the field of arts.
As a teenager, he excelled in one of art’s most traditional and revered niches: stained glass design. Born in Cologne, Germany, he becomes an apprentice of Jacob Melchoir at the age of fifteen. Shortly after completing his apprenticeship and receiving his companion certificate, he studied glass technology and design at the prestigious Glass College in Rheinbach. His success as an artist continued after he immigrated to Canada, where he opened his own workshop, and was assigned to work on restoration projects for some of Eastern Canada’s most recognizable churches, including St. Joseph’s Oratorio and Our Cathedral of Dame and the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill. DEGO told Ottawa Life Magazine that while working on the Peace Tower, they encountered technical difficulties and several obstacles were making progress difficult. He recommended that some of the project’s key people visit Cologne Cathedral and chat with some of the world-renowned architectural and design extracts who had worked to restore the famous landmark and many others. The trip provided Gotzen and other members of the Peace Tower restoration team with new ideas and innovations to make the project a success.
Throughout his years as a stained-glass artist, DEGO rarely painted or drew outside of his stained-glass plans and designs. He slowly began to create original paintings and sculptures under the name “Dego,” although he concentrated on his highly-profile stained glass commissions. Gotzens decided to commit to his original work full time in 2009. His art has since been celebrated, even exhibited in the famed Saatchi Galley in London, England.
Art itself is visceral, visually stopping. It is comparable to Pablo Picasso’s early works, or to Salvador Dali’s surreal dream landscapes, only more abstract. In some cases, DEGO’s sculptures are part of its glass formation: “I Can Fly” features a glossy, brineal background, supporting a stained-glass wing, embodying a boundless sense of freedom in its form. “Enchanting glow” is defined by a shock of rigid and free shapes, with dark blues attempting to bring structure to the earthy tones that float around the glass.
His paintings also contain the same controlled chaos. They feature familiar figures – such as roses, tossed in visual turbulence, appearing to represent definitive beauty in an otherwise subjective world. Two of his paintings on display at Alpha Art Gallery Ottawa are defined by swirling, drizzling rays of earthy nuances, seemingly arbitrary lines of paint that, together, create a cathartic image to its heart.
DEGO finished products act as a reflection of his artistic approach, as he is driven by impulse. He has a symbiotic relationship with his art: he creates what his work demands, and in return, it reflects his personality. Depending on the medium he works with, it reflects a different aspect of himself. While working with glass is a highly technical process, painting and sculpting are much more liberating. “I believe that in my paintings as in my sculptures, there are elements of free expression and, again, controlled form and order, which is certainly a manifestation of my personality that shows through my work or is reflected in my work ,” he explains.
DEGO painted to discover the truth, whether it exists in him or in society. Painting is, for him, a visual language, for him to communicate with the world around him, an invitation to the response. Gotzens touches on something very raw in his work: his art can be difficult and complex, but so is the emotions and truths he communicates through his abstract representations of his self and his world.
About the singer-songwriter:
Marysa Eve is a free spirit, singer-songwriter, horse trainer, painter, poet, & traveller. Raised in Boston, she spent her university years in Philly and then lived in Florida, Ecuador, Northern Ireland, and most recently St. Vincent as she trains horses internationally for work. She learned how to play guitar while working in New Zealand, and learned how to play piano from her grandmother. Her voice developed after 12 years of professional training in an international youth choir based in Boston. She sung in a few bands, performing for years in the underground music scene. She has a background in poetry, and published an anthology in 2017; lyrics are the driving force behind her songs.
In the artist’s words:
DEGO, Detlef Gotzens’ multi-medium artwork is stark and peerless, the product of a long and varied career in the arts.
In his adolescence, he found himself excelling in one of art’s most traditional and revered niches: stained glass design. Born in Cologne, Germany, he became an apprentice to Jacob Melchoir at the age of fifteen. Soon after completing his apprenticeship and receiving his journeyman certificate, he went on to study glass technology and design at Rheinbach’s prestigious Glass College. His success as an artist continued after he immigrated to Canada, where he opened his own atelier, and was commissioned to work on restoration projects for some of eastern Canada’s most recognizable churches, including St. Joseph’s Oratorio and Notre Dame Cathedral, as well as the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill. DEGO told Ottawa Life Magazine that during his work on the Peace tower they were running into technical difficulties and there were several barriers making progress difficult. He recommended that some of the key people on the project visit the Cologne Cathedral and speak with some of the world renowned architectural and design excerpts who had worked to restore that famous landmark and many others. The trip provided Gotzen and others on the Peace Tower restoration team with new ideas and innovations to make the project a success.
Throughout his years as a stained-glass artist, DEGO rarely painted or drew outside of his plans and designs for stained glass windows. He slowly started to create original paintings and sculptures under the name “Dego,” though he focused on his high-profile stained-glass commissions. Gotzens decided to commit himself full-time to his original artwork in 2009. Since then, his art has been celebrated, even being displayed in the famous Saatchi Galley in London, England.
The art itself is visceral, visually arresting. It is comparable to Pablo Picasso’s early Dadaist work, or Salvador Dali’s surrealist dreamscapes, only abstracted even further. In some cases, “DEGO’s” sculptures incorporate his training in glass: “I Can Fly” features a spindly, wiry bottom, supporting a stained-glass wing, encapsulating a sense of boundless freedom in its form. “Enchanting Shard” is defined by a clash of rigid and free-flowing shapes, with dark blues attempting to bring structure to the earthy hues that float around inside the glass.
His paintings also contain this same controlled chaos They feature familiar figures – such as roses, thrown into visual turmoil, seeming to represent definite beauty in an otherwise subjective world. Two of his painted works on display at Ottawa’s Alpha Art Gallery are defined by swirling, dripping streaks of earthy shades, seemingly arbitrary lines of paint that, together, create an image that is cathartic to its core.
DEGO’ finished products act as reflections of his artistic approach, as he is driven by impulse. He has a symbiotic relationship with his art: he creates what his work demands, and in return, it reflects his personhood. Depending on the medium that he is working with, it reflects a different aspect of his self. Whereas working with glass is a highly technical process, painting and sculpting are far more freeing.
“I believe that in my paintings as well as sculptures there are elements of free expression and, then again, of controlled form and order, which is certainly a manifestation of my personality showing through or reflecting in my work,” he explains.
DEGO paints to discover truth, whether it exists in him or in society. Painting is, for him, a visual language, for him to communicate with the world around him, an invitation for response. Gotzens touches on something very raw in his work: his art may be challenging and complex, but so are the emotions and truths that he is communicating through his abstract portrayals of his self and his world.