In the drawing entitled 27 01 04 Birgitt Derks shows us a man. He is opening a
hatch; a hatch leading into the earth. Beneath this hatch there are numerous
images. They are images that came to Birgitt Derks during her visits to the
buildings, laboratories, workplaces and archives of DSM. She then mixes these
and other images in her work, and by placing them in a different context
creates a new reality. A reality that raises questions in the mind of the
spectator.
Drawing 15 12 04 shows four men in suits against a black background. The men
have been removed from their own environment. Instead of an office desk, we
see a hospital bed. Who are these gentlemen and what is their role in the
company, Birgitt Derks seems to be asking herself. By contrast, the faces of
other DSM employees in her portraits are very vivid. With the works entitled
Kretzers and Twsett, Derks has retrieved a piece of DSM history from the
archives. The drawing entitled Raintainer is also derived from historical
material. An illustration in an issue of DSM Magazine from the 1970s shows a
female model promoting a new product. In the drawing, the product itself has
disappeared. For Derks, people come first. Is it an indictment of an
impersonal society where no one is irreplaceable? Birgitt Derks’s drawings
convey a sense of tranquility. A tranquility that flies in the face of DSM’s
image as a company constantly rushing to anticipate new developments in an
ever-changing society.
