Peter Smets Joint effort
oil on canvas
175 x 190 cm
Most of my work, though not all of it, is related to the construction industry. Many of my paintings are of building sites. I like to juxtapose the beauty of man-made structures with the beauty of the natural world, while also addressing the environmental impact of industrialism.
Joint effort refers to the fact that a construction site often looks chaotic as there is so much going on. But of course it’s not, there’s a system that makes it all work in a coordinated way. You need a team of people to construct something. Scaffolding is only a small element in the process but I thought it was a nice way of telling the story, that you can’t always do things on your own.
Peter Smets, 2012