Bas-Relief Sculpture by Ron van der Ende

Ron van der Ende, Ørnen (De Adelaar / The Eagle) 2007 Bas-relief in reclaimed timbers, 120x170x16cm (company collection Barendrecht NL)

I love discovering a new artist whose work is different, and a little fun. Ron van der Ende is a Rotterdam, NL-based sculptor who specializes in wall-mounted bas-reliefs constructed from found wood. Bas-relief is your A&O word-of-the-day and it means a sculpture in which forms extend only slightly from the background. Ron van der Ende’s collection of work includes sculptures of various vessels – mechanical and sea-faring – as well as structures: houses, factories, buildings, and that sort. I love how the background factors into the entire experience. I also enjoy how the photographs add another layer of viewership to these works. By that I mean that, in person, they probably appear more as definite relief sculptures, but over a computer screen, they look to be a 2-dimensional creation – a painting, or a staged photograph. Adding to the painterly aspect is the mosaic of color and texture that looks as though it was applied to the image with a brush. I’d love to see these in person. Viewing them on the computer screen will just have to do for now. Enjoy!

on van der Ende: Schooner (S.S. Roosevelt) 2007 Bas-relief in reclaimed timbers, 215 x 155 x 12cm (West Collection, Oaks, PA, USA)

Ron van der Ende: 727 2008 Bas-relief in reclaimed timbers (West Collection, PA, USA)

Ron van der Ende: NASCAR Charger 2009 bas-relief in reclaimed timbers, three parts, total dim. 305 x 96 x 10cm.

Ron van der Ende: Peekskill 2008 Bas-relief in reclaimed timbers, 150x125x14 + 20x15x15 for the ‘meteorite’