Richard Davey describes the art of Nicholas Mynheer
To Look at the paintings of Nicholas Mynheer is to enter a world of sumptuous colours and exaggerated forms, which reflect the artist's belief that the whole of life should glorify God. This outlook is far removed from the advertising career that Mynheer first embarked on after graduating from Hornsey College of Art in London. He converted to Christianity about 12 years ago, and then began painting full time.
Mynheer takes his subjects from the Bible and from Christian iconography. To capture the essence of his subject-matter, he will simplify and stylise his figures and forms: anything that is not essential to the overall design is left out. The figures he creates therefore resemble cartoon characters, with oversized heads and bodies, omitted limbs and exaggerated gestures. A recurring theme in these works is figures with large hands and arms. The gestures made by these oversized limbs act like flashing signs, pointing towards what is important. In paintings such as the Nativity Diptych, angels are also used to direct our gaze to the spiritual focus of the scene.
The curves on these gesturing limbs are emphasised by Mynheer's strong use of line. Vibrant black outlines are used to define form and enclose colour, so that the resultant paintings seem to resemble stained-glass windows. For Mynheer, this strong use of line is an essential element of the composition. It is the starting-point for the design; a tool used to define and delineate the limited space within the painting so that no area of the surface is wasted.
The colours which are enclosed within these lines are rich and exotic. A base colour of either cerulean blue or deep red informs the overall tone of the paintings. On to this Mynheer applies thick strokes of flat colour. Each brush stroke is separate, and often suffused with other colours, so that the paintings vibrate with great intensity. Like line, colour is also an important vehicle for conveying the sacred and emotional quality of the scene.
This relationship between line and colour can be clearly seen in a set of Stations of the Cross commissioned from Mynheer by St. Matthew's, Perry Beeches, Birmingham, and recently installed there. In these works, the jumbled or ordered nature of the lines helps to convey the emotion and hope of the scene. The confused lines that delineate the limbs of Christ as he journeys to the cross seem to emphasise his own state of confusion. But colour is also an important element. Red recurs again and again in the garments of the characters, until the crucifixion, when we observe the figure of Christ as if through a magnifying glass, and the whole painting is suffused with the colour of his blood. Then, in the entombment, the use of dark blue, with a hint of light on the horizon, conveys a sense of otherworldliness, along with the hope of resurrection.
The installation of these Stations allows a wider audience to enjoy the work of Nicholas Mynheer. He is an artist for whom exotic angles, strong lines and vibrant colour serve to convey a unique artistic vision of the Christian faith.
Richard Davey, Church Times, London 1995