Interview with Gilbert Putteman - 02/2026
Gilbert Putteman is a Belgian art critic and essayist, known for his reflective and literary approach to contemporary visual art, with a particular sensitivity to painting, observation and artistic process. He interviewed me about my work and artistic journey. You can read the full interview below or listen to an audio excerpt.
For convenience, I describe Patrick as a self-taught artist, someone deeply passionate about painting. After an active professional period as an optician, he felt the need for a different path. At present, he is primarily inspired by New York, a city he visits frequently. His paintings are based on his own photographic material. New York is a challenging city. The emphasis in his work lies on the experience of the street and the expression of captured impressions. The works are executed in acrylic on canvas.
General context - New York
New York City is the largest city in the United States of America and is located in the state of New York. Thanks to its position on one of the world’s finest natural harbours, the city has developed into one of the most important global centres for trade and finance.
New York also plays a leading and influential role in media, education, entertainment, art, fashion and advertising. It stands at the centre of international trade, finance, politics, communication, film, music, fashion and culture. Alongside London, Paris and Tokyo, New York is considered one of the world’s four major global cities. The city has more than 8.2 million inhabitants spread across an area of 789.43 km² and consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island.
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The city that never sleeps
There is always something happening in New York. For Patrick, the city is an endless symphony of haste and hope. At times, the city seems to wink back, slightly weary. Patrick does not use New York merely as a backdrop; he experiences it with close attention to its neighbourhoods and its social contrasts. The street, the block, constantly shifts in character.
Frank Sinatra captured the essence of the city as early as 1978 in his famous song New York, New York: “I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps.” With that line, he grasped the very core of the city. In New York, there is always something to experience — which is also one of the reasons why Patrick Hostenbach is so drawn to the city.
A façade in Harlem, NYC
I am always curious about what lies behind such a façade, or who might be hidden there. One should not forget that Harlem is home to many African American writers, poets, musicians and artists. Harlem is the place where the African American voice was first heard on a large scale in literature. I think, for instance, of Langston Hughes, perhaps the most famous poet associated with Harlem. His work breathes jazz, spirituals and the everyday life of the neighbourhood.
According to the artist, Harlem unfolds as a district that both rustles and whispers through the branches of its trees. Stories cling to the wide streets, dried into the brick façades of buildings that have withstood sun, rain, cold and snow for generations. The Harlem that emerges from Patrick’s painting carries its scars and its pride at the same time.
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A graffiti-covered façade on Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NYC
Graffiti brings colour to the neighbourhood, to the street. This form of street art also bears emotion. Like poetry, it can raise questions. This graffiti invites reflection, interpretation, shared experience or frustration, memory… For me, it is also an art form that keeps us alert.
Beverage vendor, West Broadway, NYC
In New York City, one encounters many street vendors with carts selling drinks, hot dogs and similar food and beverages. Sometimes coffee is sold as well, its aroma mingling with rain and asphalt. This, too, is part of the streetscape. Patrick succeeds in capturing these small, beautiful moments in his paintings — and he does so in a remarkable way.
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Prince Street, NYC
Today, Prince Street is popular for its boutiques, design and fashion stores, galleries and loft apartments — the latter particularly resonating in Patrick’s work. The street has evolved into an artistic, trendy neighbourhood. Historical architecture blends with contemporary urban life. Here too, Patrick succeeds in giving this transformation visual form. For an artist, merging past and present is no easy task. Patrick achieves it.
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Conclusion
In his previous life as an optician, Patrick worked professionally and intensively with the eyes. He then employed this trained gaze as an exceptional observer and photographer. All of this has now merged into his new passion: painting. I follow his path with admiration and already look forward to what is yet to come.
A terrace in Bryant Park, NYC
No matter how busy New York may be, moments of calm are continually woven into the city. Behind the great urban library lies a beautiful park with chairs — one of the many small green spaces that punctuate the cityscape. Such parklets and seating areas can be found throughout the city.
With a sensitive antenna — of the kind only artists seem to possess — Patrick has succeeded in capturing this moment of stillness and translating it into acrylic on canvas.
Listen to the audio excerpt here! (only available in Dutch)
