Peter Westenbrink

For a living I work at the Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute (KNMI). I’m responsible for the weekly high altitude balloon (to measure the ozone layer). As an artist I work with language and images. Essentially I make artists’ books in which I let words and images compete with each other. They have a cohesion that demands to be discovered. ‘Abstraction’ is the obstacle that must be overcome. Therefore, my books have to be considered a niche. They are for the enthusiast.

Ever since my childhood, I have been fascinated by the moon. It regularly plays a prominent role in my art. For me, the moon is a metaphor for the unknown and the mysterious. As an artist, I feel like an explorer. I’m following what Apollo 15 astronaut Dave Scott said when he stepped on the moon as the 7th person: “Man must explore.” Hopefully, my art will encourage this, too.