Drawing Front (and back); Quartair, The Hague

Astrid Nobel, 7. 29/32

Astrid Nobel, 7

I’m afraid you are too late to visit the show Drawing Front (and back) at Quartair, which is a pity as it was quite an interesting one. Twenty-five artists gave a small personal artistic biography in drawings, ideally showing a children’s drawing, one from their teens and some more from a later age.

Sarah Pape García, 7

Sarah Pape García, 22

The results were, apart from endearing, sometimes stunning. Although the show is over I thought it was interesting enough to show some pictures for the record.

Femke Bakker, 9

Femke Bakker, 27

Taking presentable pictures of everything was not possible and I’m sorry to say I have no footage of the works by Justin Bennett and Rens Krikhaar because of much too irritating reflections in the glass (Sorry gentlemen, but it was a pleasure seeing them anyway!). The numbers behind the names under the pictures refer to the age of the artists at the moment of drawing.

Babette Wagenvoort

Babette Wagenvoort, 43

Babette Wagenvoort, 33

Babette Wagenvoort, 3

Babette Wagenvoort, 15

Anne Forest, 32

Anne Forest, 8

Anne Forest, 22

Paul van der Eerden, 38

Paul van der Eerden, 61

Johan Gustavsson, 37

Johan Gustavsson, 30

Wieske Wester, 30

Erik Jan Ligtvoet, 17

Erik Jan Ligtvoet

Cybil Scott, 5

Cybil Scott, 26

Melissa Cruz García, 8

Melissa Cruz García, 26

Melissa Cruz García, 36

Michael Karr, 12

Michael Karr, 30

Michael Karr, 20

Tanja Smit, 48

Tanja Smit, 30

Tanja Smit

Johan van Oord, 34

Johan van Oord, 8

Wieteke Heldens

Wieteke Heldens, 3

Channa Boon, 48

Channa Boon, 28

Lieke Peeters, 20

Lieke Peeters, 10

Jorn van Leeuwen, 10

Thom Vink, 42

Marjolijn van der Meij, 15

Marjolijn van der Meij, 45

Ronald Cornelissen, 28

Nina Roos, 5

Nina Roos, 28

Stefanie Scholte, 7

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

 

Bertus Pieters

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Sjoerd Buisman: beelden, collages uit het atelier (sculptures, collages from the studio); Ramakers gallery, The Hague

Sjoerd Buisman’s works, presently on show at Galerie Ramakers, are constructed with one of the most essential aspects of the natural world: growth, in particular plant growth.

Although growing directions and shapes of plants can be manipulated by man, the pattern itself remains the same and based on this natural logic Buisman makes his works.

He uses life plants as well as other materials to make his sculptures, or rather to have them grow.

He also makes collages with plant leaves that may remind you of herman de vries, but Catalijn Ramakers insists Buisman started making plant collages first.

Moreover Buisman also reconstructs the leaves more or less and again he shows their consistent growing pattern in spite of manipulation or obstruction.

Altogether this is a very fine show, with works that may remind you of how wonderful it must be to design and make them.

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

 

Bertus Pieters

Façades of The Hague #2

Façade of the Royal Academy of Art (Koninkljke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten/KABK), Prinsessegracht.

Designed by J.W.E. Buijs and J.B. Lürsen in co-operation with the then director of the Academy J.H. Plantenga.

Built in 1932-1937 to replace the 19^th century neoclassicist building.

The façade is probably its best feature.

At present the institute is one of the main artistic engines of the town.

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

All pictures were taken in March 2016

 

Bertus Pieters

Theo Jansen, Strandbeest Drawings; Heden, The Hague

Theo Jansen’s Strandbeests (Beach Beasts) are internationally renowned and valued.

As Jansen often uses The Hague beach to experiment with his automobile creatures they have become iconic of The Hague as well.

The strange thing is that too few people in this provincial town seem to realize that.

Why should culturally interested tourists in The Hague flock to M.C. Escher while there is a Strandbeest by Theo Jansen currently on show at Heden gallery?

Why should Karel Appel be a national artistic hero while Theo Jansen could be one as well?

Apart from the Strandbeest there is more on show at Heden.

In fact Heden wants to exhibit Jansen’s drawings in the first place, but of course the real thing is stealing the show.

The drawings with their surprisingly elegant detailing are very interesting though.

In the basement of the gallery are some “fossils” of Beach Beasts to be seen, which makes it a bit of a paleontological affair.

To be seen are of course other Jansenalia like the Taschen edition Strandbeest with gorgeous pictures and mini-d.i.y.-strandbeesten.

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

 

Bertus Pieters

55 Years Anniversary; Nouvelles Images gallery, The Hague

Joseph Semah

Auke de Vries

Auke de Vries

Nouvelles Images is celebrating its 55th birthday this year.

Marjan Teeuwen

Ton Kraayeveld

Ton Kraayeveld

It is the oldest gallery in the country so it is a venue with a history, which is more or less reflected by the present festive group show.

Auke de Vries

Hans van Hoek

Works by some thirty artists are on show of which you can see a few aspects here.

Hans van Hoek

Gijs Assmann

Gijs Assmann

No need to say that it is better to go and make your own choice.

Toon Teeken

Uwe Poth

Jan van der Pol

Anyway: happy birthday Nouvelles Images and many happy returns!

Omar Koubâa

Joost van den Toorn

Hamid El Kanbouhi

David Lindberg

Dave Meijer

Lucassen

Lucassen

Lucassen

JCJ Vanderheyden

Joris Geurts

JCJ Vanderheyden

Cor van Dijk

Piet Tuytel

Piet Tuytel

Robert Nicol

Helen Frik

Pieter Laurens Mol

Gabriëlle van de Laak

Jerry Keizer

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

 

Bertus Pieters

Shigeo Arikawa: Seeing, Not Seeing; Helder Gallery, The Hague

Helder Gallery shows a very special presentation of work by Shigeo Arikawa.

The main focus is on his powerful work Hangan, a series of 21 projected frontal portraits of people holding a card in their hands.

Their faces are lighted and darkened slowly.

There is a contrast in the neutral and identical positioning of the persons and very different faces and (supposed) characters.

It is a more or less meditative piece with appropriate oriental music, so sit down and take your time.

After the rebuilding and refurbishing of the gallery, the gallery keepers are clearly eager to experiment with new forms and disciplines.

A daring and applaudable move.

Some more video works by Arikawa are on show on demand, amongst others Am I dreaming of others, or are others dreaming of me?

A seemingly story telling work, but where the subjects constantly negate a story line.

The mind wants visual logic but cannot get it.

Arikawa’s work is confronted with paintings by Jakob de Jonge. It is clear that the new interior of the gallery also invites to making more daring combinations. When leaving the gallery i also saw these sculptures by Eelke van Willegen which add to the meditative atmosphere.

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

 

Bertus Pieters

 

Façades of The Hague #1

It may look a bit strange to start a series about façades with a piece of wasteland.

Until quite recently an eye hospital stood on this place at Leyweg.

It was designed by Sjoerd Schamhart (1919-2007) and built in 1970.

Schamhart lived and worked in The Hague and designed more buildings in this town.

The eye hospital was surely one of his most elegant buildings and, what’s more, it was my first residential address in The Hague.

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

All pictures taken March 2016

Bertus Pieters

Andrea Freckmann, Lilian Kreutzberger; Maurits van de Laar Gallery, The Hague

At Maurits van de Laar Gallery Andrea Freckmann shows paintings in combination with sculptures and Lilian Kreutzberger shows reliefs and drawings combined with installations.

Freckmann shows in her paintings different levels of reality often with a dog which seems the only creature that can really be present in all levels. Freckmann expands these different levels with sculptures in front of the paintings or in one case even with a small visual poem.

Kreutzberger has the frames run from her reliefs and drawings to form a kind of architectural environment in which two dimensionality and space play games.

Both artists combine good craftsmanship with a great amount of imagination which proves to be highly contagious (in a healthy way) when visiting the show.

 [Click on the pictures to enlarge]

 

Bertus Pieters