In an ever-demanding world that seeks quantity over quality, profits over improvement, mass-production over sustainability, the question rises what value do we place on certain products and why. Since the Industrial Revolution, machines have determined what products are produced, their quality, quantity, and price tag. It seems that society has placed worth in these mass-produced goods that are inexpensive rather than looking for high-quality products. This behaviour is only further encouraged by industries that profit from products that periodically break down. In turn, this creates an infinite and never-ending cycle of production.
Today this attitude is shifting; it is now a novelty to find ‘bespoke’ hand-made custom products in limited edition. In The Machine, Paul van Katwijk investigates the ideologies behind mass-production and custom novelty through the medium of painting. Paul focuses on the materialisation of paint layer and form to reflect on the harsh and changing systems that surround us. Each brushstroke and additive questions how these ideas affect the medium itself; and ultimately explores where value lies in our now hazy world.