Charles Lagendijk

painter. musician.

“For me, every painting is a representation of music. How does someone listen to music? One person might be struck by the form in which a composition is structured; another might have an ear only for timbres and tonal colors; a third might simply let the music wash over them without knowing which aspects they’re experiencing. Anything goes, but as a listener, you can still discover such wonderful elements in structure, color, or melody—what matters is that you’re moved.

The same applies to my paintings. I give careful thought to form, composition, color, scale, and texture, but what ultimately matters is that the final result gives me—and, I hope, the viewer as well—a small sense of happiness.

I can paint whatever I want, without following a trend or trying to adhere to a particular style. I certainly don’t feel the need to be an innovator, though I do agree with a statement by Stravinsky, who said he couldn’t imagine his music making a strange impression on the listener.’