“Creativity isn't something to be used and utilized. 

I object to that idea and that sort of corporate thinking.”

It's tempting to equate the artist with his work and work method. But, as with most things in life, it is more complex. While Vincent meditates, prefers an office in nature, and ends the long hours in his studio with a moment of stillness, he also likes to play loud, repetitive music (only instrumental, voices, and lyrics are too distracting) like dub ambient, or soundscapes. The kind of music that, when played loud enough, you can feel move through your body. In-person, Vincent is not the esoteric artist you might expect: he's high-energy, passionate, and outspoken. In short, the perfect person to talk about creativity, ethics, and the idea of 'using' creativity as society's problem-solving multitool (spoiler alert: Vincent opposes this wholeheartedly). 

“Just because we can, doesn't mean we should.” 

What is your definition of creativity? 

VB: "For someone like Dick Swaab, creativity is a biological pathway that hasn't been formed yet [ed. read our interview with this acclaimed neuroscientist here]. In Dutch, there's a beautiful word for this: 'Olifantenpaadjes.' But it's important to realize that creativity and science play very different roles in society. And it's not necessarily a good thing when those two worlds try to benefit too much from one another. They are very interesting if they oppose each other now and then, to challenge each other."

What do you mean by that?

VB: "For me, creativity is a way of life. That sounds grandiose, but I mean it in a very modest way. In my work, I've noticed that when things flow, you achieve a kind of creative momentum. And in that momentum, you're also digesting things that you've experienced in your life. Creativity has a therapeutic quality in that respect. Some people process things by talking about them to others; I process them through creativity." 

“Creativity has a therapeutic quality… some people process things by talking about them to others; I process them through creativity.”

Creativity serves a genuine and distinguished purpose, then? 

VB: "It's important to remember that creativity isn't something that comes to you only to be used and utilized. I object to that idea and don't appreciate that sort of corporate thinking. 

I recently heard a scientist say, 'We can do everything we want, but do we also want everything we can do?' That struck a chord because, at the end of the day, that's really the question, and all these technological developments have completely overshadowed that question. Just because we can, doesn't mean we should. 

People are in awe of new technology, but while they're busy clapping their hands in awe, ethics are lagging behind. Take the smartphone. That's been around for some 14 years, and we're only just starting to realize that constantly being available isn't that great. It took as more than ten years to come to this realization! Technological advancements are happening at an incredible pace, but our ethical development is speeding up at a different pace. So, where exactly are we standing at the dawn of this new age? Are we going to halt progress because it's all moving too quickly? And if human ethics can't keep up with the speed of all the technical advancements, what is the actual value of that speed? These are essential questions that you need to address and think about." 
 

“We can't allow creativity to be reduced to a tool that others can use for their profits.”

What role does time play in your work and, indeed, your life? 

VB: "In my life, it's all about slowing down. Koen Haegens wrote a great book about this: ‘In Search of Scattered Time.’ In the book, he suggests that we live in a time where everyone feels they don't have enough time. Yet, comparatively and proportionally, we waste far more time on mindless activities than any previous generations. 

I work with traditional techniques, and when people see my work, they often remark on how much time I've invested in it. They can't believe I've spent months or years making this work of art. But the thing is, the word 'work' makes it seem heavy, because we came to believe that work is something you have to do, not want to do. In my artmaking process, my 'work' is my freedom and/or my meditation, although that sounds contradictory."

"The goodwill we creatives have towards each other shouldn't just be handed over to people who don't care about people." 

For someone who is all about slowing down the pace, how do you look at the pace of technological advances? 

VB: "I'm pretty critical when it comes to technology. It is not about its possibilities but more about the people responsible for it. All this new technology eventually ends up in the hands of corporations that don't care about people, so you're essentially dealing with people looking to profit from it. 

A few years ago, Volkswagen developed a 300-mile-per-gallon car. You could drive to Berlin and back on half a gas tank—incredible. But what happened next? Shell bought the patent, and nobody (including our planet) has been able to enjoy this development. We talk about technological advancements, but that's not the real issue. It's about who controls them. I suggest listening to what Naom Chomsky has to say about this kind of thing.

We must be careful that what is happening to technology doesn't happen to creativity. We can't allow it to be reduced to a tool that others can use for their profits. Creativity has become a buzzword, just like 'transparency.' Even in politics, people are now calling for 'creative' solutions, meaning more profit for fewer resources. Well, thanks, but no thanks. The goodwill we creatives have towards each other shouldn't just be handed over to people who don't care about people."
 

What effect will these technological changes or challenges have, depending on your point of view, on creativity?

"Technological developments, including AI, will give us more of everything. More positive and more negative. The positive aspects will be for the privileged (and occasionally, the less privileged will get a little something to keep them happy—like a step counter or a little chat GPT or an image blender, oh, how special). In contrast, the negative aspects will be for those already struggling; in other words, a segregation tool. People will become increasingly impatient and worse at waiting and being bored, constantly reminded of the immense potential of technological progress—and therefore worse at creativity. Because 'boredom' is a key essential for creativity, it's the moment when your brain starts thinking outside the box, searching for interests and curiosity.

'Creating' will unfortunately become synonymous with mixing or blending, which is valid to some extent but doesn't fully capture what it means. Surprises will become even more unwelcome. We will face even more uncertainties and become even worse at dealing with them. AI will cost us a lot of time: spending even more time than before on nonsense. Automatically generated messages are automatically answered, but we'll have to review everything and constantly double-check. We'll experience fewer exciting things in life, only blends of stuff we already know. Less getting lost, arriving at locations faster, which means you have more time to use apps while sitting in the waiting room. The speed difference between the analog and digital worlds will become excruciating."

That's a bleak scenario…and, unfortunately, one that isn't that hard to imagine.

“It all sounds like doom-mongering, but I strongly believe in a turning point. Precisely when everything moves in one direction, a counter-movement will arise. And moreover, humanity will only head towards what it can imagine. If we can only imagine a catastrophe, then that's what it will become. But everything depends on the attention you give it; if we focus on collaboration and softer values like love and compassion, they will have more room in our vision of the future.”

“I strongly believe in a turning point. Precisely when everything moves in one direction, a counter-movement will arise.”

Editorial Note:

Want to know more about Vincent and his art work? Be sure to visit his website to find a list of upcoming shows. 

Photography: Robert Oosterbroek, Tim Koster, Almacheal Fraay, and Robin Meyer.

This interview was conducted at the Illustratie Biënnale Haarlem, the illustration and graphic art festival. We’re proud to call the Biennale one of our partners. 

www.illustratiebiennale.nl