René Daniels (B. 1950)

Daniëls produced a small amount of sketches and one painting of a man whose head has firmly grown into his Italian hat, see also Stedelijk Museum Bulletin, Amsterdam, 1983, p. 45. and Marente Bloemheuvel, Jaap Guldemond (eds.), Catalogue René Daniëls - The Most Contemporary Picture Show, Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Kunsthalle Basel, Stedelijk Museum, 1998-1999, p. 19, p. 70. In this elaborate drawing in pencil and gouache, an element is added that omits from the sketches. Referring to Francis Picabia's 'transparent' period in which the French modernist drew images over and through other images, Daniëls projects the white outlines of a human body on the head of the man with the hat. Another view is to interpret the white lines as 'ectoplasm' streaming out of the man's ears. In the supernatural world, ectoplasm is a pale, almost fluid substance witnessed by some psychic mediums during their sessions, facilitating the interaction with 'the other side'.