Johannes Steendam

The Pallet Composition – Abstractly Painted Objects

At a certain point, Johannes Steendam stopped seeing a pallet as a mere object — instead, he saw a composition of lines and spaces. The linear rhythm of the wooden beams seemed designed for him; the entire construction spoke to him.

He transformed the pallet, emphasizing its spatial qualities by elevating the beams, lifting the lines, and enriching the surface with a carefully composed palette of used motor oils.

These works are as much about material as they are about composition. Steendam uses the inherent shape and structure of the wooden pallet, creating a subtle interplay of tones and textures.

At the moment when it no longer matters that the medium is motor oil, the pallet sheds its original function and becomes an autonomous object.
It turns into a stripe painting, where the spaces between the beams open up a new perspective — revealing an unexpected beauty in these industrious, utilitarian materials. Steendam invites us to see these unruly, everyday objects differently: not just as means of transport, but as carriers of form, rhythm, and possibility.

Johannes Steendam is founder of Neck Of The Woods, space for experimental  art