Male Nude Drawing

Over four decades now, Roswitha van der Zander has created an extensive and demanding work of sculptures and drawings and, to a smaller extent, paintings. In the beginning, her sculptural work mainly deals with the human figure from a decided womans point of view, especially the way of looking at the naked male body. From there on, two kinds of abstract works come into being, one by looking very close, concentrating on details (hands/ear/vulva), then developping further to organic forms in general, - the other one by taking a more distant view looking at "the figure in the room" , then concentrating on the room itself and at last dealing with pure geometrical elements. But there is no inconsistency, all her sculptures and reliefs are in connection. On the whole, abstract or figurative is not a question of style, but of different themes, all is done in her own characteristic monumental style. Her sculptures are made of traditional materials like plaster or wood, but there isnt anything traditional in subject and message. Her sculptures and reliefs, based on real objects, which can be a snail shell as well as the human body, contain realistic, surreal and abstract elements. The ones, dealing with the image of men are often ironic or even cynic, as Roswitha van der Zander doesnt believe in the traditional roles of society. Whatever the subject is, the sculptures with their strict, but nevertheless sensual forms, show an emphasis of volume and gravity, so that even small objects can look monumental. Her pencil-drawings are an independent part of her work, not just sculptors sketches, although they have similar subjects. The drawings are mostly so dense and differentiated, that they are hardly possible to reproduce. There is ambiguity in them, behind a seemingly unequivocal reality, a view into inner consciousness, that offers own associations to the one looking at the work. It is as well very demanding on his will and ability to look intensely. There are as well periods of painting taking up themes from the sculptural work or the drawings to work on further aspects by including the medium of color.