Going back in time: Daniel Gould’s 3D List, Art in Amsterdam #22

As 3D said recently, the 2009-2010 Amsterdam Art Season is slowly winding down. An opening at one gallery, last weekend, was the last show for this season. It seemed strange to say as I was leaving, "See you in September."

So what have you bought during the last eight months? If you answer "Nothing!" well, shame on you. For those who say, "I ain't got no money!" well, also last week, at one gallery, you could buy very good drawings for as little as 50 euro. That's the price of a cheap dinner for two. (See below for the gallery's name.) There are NO excuses for NOT supporting an artists. Again, the weather is pristine and this week there are just enough galleries with openings that give you a good overview of what is happeing...DO IT! Do IT this week...Buy a work of ART!

INDEX:

Bits & Pieces:

What You Missed Last Week:

What Is Happening This Week:

BITS & PIECES: 

ArtAmsterdam is just around the corner. It begins on the 26th of May. A flyer is now being distribute under its' name with this quotation from Piet Mondriaan: "Art is not made for anybody and is, at the same time, for everyone." Hey, that's food for thought.
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War is hell! Anyone who has participated in one will not argue that. 3D, fortunately, has not had the experience. So when I complain about the "stress" I found myself under I try to think of others who are under far worse stress. This came to mind when I read this rather ironic statement in an article titled "Farewell of Korengal," by Sebastian Junger concerning a soldier serving in Afghanistan (Int Herald Tribune, 22nd April): "The psychological pressure was enormous [in Afghanistan] 'I've only been here for four months and I can't believe how messed up I am.' One soldier told me. 'I went to the counselor and he asked if I smoked cigarettes and I told him no and he said, 'Well, you may want to think about starting.'" 
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Laser 3.14 as seen at 2e Laurierdwarsstraat 62: "Your Lips Started And Ended It All;" and "A Harvest of Broken Dreams." Hmmm...It sounds like Laser 3.14 is once again crying in his beer. Another broken romance? Hey, folks, we got a real soap opera playing out here.
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...The things you missed by NOT going to openings. At one, last weekend, there was a table with about ten types of chocolate bonbons. 3D was in love! After sampling four or five, I picked up the name card. The heading on the card reads: VANDERDONK Fine Chocolates. Hey, they got that right. For more info, check this out: https://bit.ly/2AkObA2 
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NIMk's part in "The Sonic Acts" program ends this Sunday, 2nd May. For more info: https://bit.ly/2m4s9Hy 
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How NOT to write a subject headline for the Internet...3D had an e-mail from Expatica. The "subject matter," in the in-box, read: "Dutch police arrest 20 cocaine smugglers and Dating in the Netherlands:" 3D always wondered about these dating sites and what some people found so attractive about them. 
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WHAT YOU MISSED LAST WEEK: 

Thursday: 

Hanneke Nobel takes a bit from Vincent van Gogh and a dash from Gerrit Benner and, walla, you have a Nobel in her own unique style. You get the feel that both these masters have been mentors for her work. The strokes have Benner's boldness and the composition, of these landscapes, at Galerie Libbe Venema (Hogeweg 2a), emulate Van Gogh. But, again, it is her own voice and the work is not derivative. The colors are unexpected too (50x50 cms., oil @ 1,450 EUR; 50x90 cms., oil @ 1,950 EUR. unframed work on paper 50 EUR and up)...She shares the space with Hans Dillesse who does drawings. Sometime with gouache and sometimes with pastel and "bister." Bister? 3D asked him what that was. Well, the butcher from where he buys his meat also smokes it. Dillesse from time to time cleans the smoking pot. He takes the ash residue and mixes it with Arabic gum and another---and secretive---liquid. He uses the resulting pigmentation as a wash. The works on display that makes use of bister have a sepia-like look to them but with more definition, luster and depth. Basically, he is concerned with perspective. His landscapes focus on hills and valleys and you get a sense of every dip and rise. The b/w drawings are almost as "colorful" as his gouaches. (drawings A4 blister @ 300 EUR; 20x35 cms., gouache @ 450 EUR; 65x100 cms., charcoal @ 1,500 EUR. Unframed work on paper starting at 100 EUR and up) Until 30th April. https://bit.ly/2LWTS8A 
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Friday: 

AYACS (Keizersgracht 16_) hangs the work of Henrik Kröner which are for the most part mixed-media. There are several factors as well as material involved in the making of these "canvases." The materials range from the simple pencil to fabric. The latter contributes significantly because he generally chooses fabric with a grid imprinted on it. The next step is to cover the material with paint and then to scratch through the paint to add an image and/or a sense of depth. Other works are more straight forward. Again, he favors work on a fabric that has a grid imprinted on it. He then draws. The resulting imagery ranges from an abstract "landscape" with two people having sex on an office desk to an abstraction background made up of concentric circles with a shark and an automobile superimposed.. Other pieces are both more involved and intricate in their imagery. (35x30 cms., oil, beeswax, pigment, pencil and co9lor pencil on canvas @ 550 EURO; 195x145 cms., color pencil on "gevonden" canvas @ 2,880 EUR.) Until 30th May. 
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WG KUNST (M. van B. Bastiaansestraat 28) is showing four artist who are either mentally impaired or have had pyschiatric counselling. The theme---if there is one---could be the recycling of material can be artistic. The title is, "H.F. van Steensel: Alte Kameraden Papiertjes Monumenten." We see objects all made with materials found on the street. Some are imaginative and creative and some challenge your concepts of "what is art?" Others, represent conceptual forms that make you think "Hey, that's interesting." (Prices from 215 to 2,200 EUR; 39 works listed.) Until ___?___ (not listed). https://bit.ly/2v9vxoX 
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John O'Carroll (UK) is back at Galerie R. Katwijk (Lange Leidsedwarsstraat 198). Think of his work as expressionism without color. Hard to imagine? O'Carroll paints in b/w and shades of gray in between. The paint swirls across the canvas like tributary streams cutting through a delta. There is a rhythm to the brush stokes. But that's not all there is. A few pieces do have an element of subdued color. For the most part, he uses plaster and resin and emulates "graffito," a substance from the Renaissance. There are also sculpture pieces. One appears to be burnt wood with a copper plate wedged into its side; another is a crude homemade ladder with its rungs adorned with numbers and symbols. (82x58 cms., @ 1,900 EUR; 63x110 cms., beeswax + gesson on wood @ 3,200 EUR; 110x150 cms., graffito @ 6,800 EUR.) Until 5th June. https://bit.ly/2ObCIFC 
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Lucy Stein (UK) is back in town. A few years ago, she did the Rijksacademie and was discovered by the Stedelijk Museum (they featured her in their "Recent Acquisition" exhibition) and SM Bureau Amsterdam for a solo show. Her style is evolving. She is showing at M. van Zomeren (Prinsengracht 276). The strong and bold paint strokes are still there as are the assertive colors. Her colors tend to be not only unusual combinations, but they sometimes clash though, admittedly, in pleasing ways. But her imagery, especially the figurative, is more prominent and with strong cartoon elements. She is hanging in this show both paintings and drawings. The drawings actually reflect what she is doing on campus more than in the past. And the drawings themselves have a more sexual theme than before, but with humor. Three red dots at opening. (25x35 cms., ink, watercolor on paper, framed @ 1,200 EUR; 30x40 cms., oil on canvas @ 3,000 EUR; 90x120 cms., oil on canvas @ 7,000 EUR; 190x170 cms., oil on canvas @ 12,000 EUR.) Until 29th May. http://www.gmvz.com/ 
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Galerie D. Stigter (Elandsstraat 90) is the work of Amalia Pica. Well, this is one of those exhibition where it is necessary to read the press release to understand what it is all about. But since it is not the purpose of these reviews to be dissertations 3D will explain what he has seen. There is a large photograph that gets your attention as you enter if only for its size. It measures four meters long and about 150 high. It shows an empty football stadium...well, almost empty. There is one person sitting on a seat and reading a book.This photo is part of a dip-tych. The other part is an old hardbound copy of "Robinson Crusoe" with its original dust cover. Again, there is an "explanation" for the relationship between the two; one is that this is the book that the lone satdium figure is reading. 

There is also an installation which consist of an array of six microphones made of recycled material. One, is a paint roller with a tennis ball stuck to the end of it. You approach them by walking across a "red carpet" made from plastic composite material. In the small gallery, at the back, there is a theater spotlight pointed at a piece of paper measuring 250 cms., x 120 cms., with a large pale yellow spot on it. Sensors appeared to activate the spotlight that, then, would illuminate the yellow spot. At the opening there was a performance with two ladies holding empty tin cans with a long string attached. They stood about four or five meters apart. This was like the "telephones" that kids would fabricated several years ago. Ironically, neither lady had anything to say. They spent all their time "listening." (400x150 cms., Diptych which consists of one book and one photo, Ed. 3 @ 4,500 EUR; Installation, six "microphones"+ found material @ 9,000 EUR.) Until 29th May. https://bit.ly/2LcyITk 
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...Out the door and down the Hazenstraat to #60 and we are at "witzenhausen GALLERY" for Michael Chelbin's"black eye." Expect portrait photography which captures the reality of the subject matter. That is, these portraits are not glamorous, but they are truthful. The subject matter is the athlete and most are young. We see them in natural poses. (94x94 cms., C-print, Ed. 7 @ 7,500 EUR.) Until 22nd May. https://bit.ly/2zCqZwM 
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At A.Gelink Gallery (Laurierstraat 187) is Meiro Koizumi (Japan). 3D arrived early and was told to come back at 18:00 for the performance. I did so. Unfortunately, 3D is short and Dutch people are tall. As a result I couldn't see a thing of the performance but what I heard sounded like an orgy with only one participant; lots of grunts, groaning and guttural sounds. A sex-machine in action. Oh, yeah, its title was, "Melodrama for Men #4 - Historical Fuck." Afterwards, I examined the "set" and found it to be rather complex as to the different elements involved. Several parts reflected the Japanese culture like the four hand fans with painted decorations. He also hangs charcoal drawings which are a combination of representational figurative with a surrealistic influences. The drawings are a series of portraits of historical Japanese figures. He more or less disfigures them, but in a conceptual manner.

In The Bakery are the drawings of 25+ artists so please excuse 3D for not pointing to any one of them. Actually, there was no way of telling who was whom. No names, nor numbers and no price list. No nothin'. But, that be as it may, it is more than a "drawing exhibition" since there are pieces that are mixed media and one which looked like "sculpted" paper. Other works incorporate typography as a focal point; and some have an added collage feature. Indeed, there are a few gems amongst the works. Until 5th June. https://bit.ly/2u9Hxa3 
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Sunday:

Ziad Haider (Iraq) is at BeemsterArtCentre (Sint Nicolaasstraat 21) with paintings and drawings. His work is geometric abstract expressionism. He favors black against red, orange and yellows. The compositions have grids, rectangles, squares and circles though they tend to be quiet and not overbearing in the overall composition. A few pieces included typography. A large canvas is composed of 64 "squares" each containing a separate and individual painting. All are in various shades of brown from dark to beige. (A4 drawings, pencil on paper @ 400 EUR: 40x30 acrylic @ 1,200 EUR; 90x90 cms., acrylic @ 1,750 EUR; 150x150 cms., oil @ 7,500 EUR.) Until 29th May. https://bit.ly/2LYaBIz 
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A late review...3D missed the opening, but finally went around to W139 (Warmoesstraat 139) to check it out. According to Gijs Frieling, the current director of W139, it was his "wish to paint W139 from head to toe at least once." The large space measures 20x16x8 meters. The theme was the German classic novel "Doktor Faustus." 3D is not that familiar with the work to make a judgement on how accurate each drawing is as to reflecting what Mann had to say. But two pieces of work did jump out at me and they were directly perpendicular to the other. One was "nrc: nrchandelsblad>nrc next>nrc.nl" and a Pop School type of work depicting Johannes Vermeer "Woman with a Pearl Earring." I asked the man sitting at the door about it and was told: "They are two of the sponsors!" Huh! Well, 3D has nothing against sponsorship, but there is a place for it and it just doesn't fit into a major work with a theme like "Doktor Faustus." Think of Rembrandt hanging a sign on the "Nightwatch" reading "Quality Muskets By De Vries, Herengracht 56." Well, let's move on...Aside from six drawings in charcoal, three in parallel to the other three, none of the work really relates to the pieces around them: not in color, nor style. But that's not to say there is a lack of unity. In fact, it is the disunity that brings it all together like a graffiti laden wall. At the entrance, there are 120 portraits of mostly Germans from the 19th and 20th century---most of the top Nazis are represented including Hitler---and it looks like ALL of the Thomas Mann family. There are a few anomalies like Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor, and Billy Holiday. Strange, that. Until __?__. https://bit.ly/2JitdRx 
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WHAT IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK: 

Reminder: Well, sometimes the info is WRONG. Sometimes 3D suspects it is and when that happens you will see: "(?)." And sometimes the times may be in question so you see "*" therefore you are advised to check the gallery's web-site or phone them. This is your weekly 3D disclaimer and brought to you, as always, FREE of charge. 

THURSDAY: 29th April, 2010
THURSDAY: 29th April, 2010 

17-19:00 "OUTline" (Oetewalerstraat 73). Yvonne Dröge Wendel's "Rational thingness." https://bit.ly/2LzEjXq 

17-19:00 Nieuw Dakota (Ms.v Riemsdijkweg 41b, NDSM-werf, free ferry from CS). "Common Ground." 

18:30 The Club of Amsterdam (N.B. @ Hogeschool of Amsterdam, Singelgrachtgebouw, Rhijnspoorplein 1). "The Future of Music," (See 3D List #32 for more info) Tickets on line: https://bit.ly/2nlASUj More info: https://bit.ly/2nlASUj 

19-02:00 PLANETART (Wibautstraat 150). "Technological Singularity #2," Group show of nine artists. Well, there's a full program and even though it is in English 3D still needs an interpreter. As an example, at 20:30 expect: "Sgure (Freaka Peaka) (Fr) Extreme violent bursts, silence, speech, hard rock samples, strange atmospheres, Burgers, American Idol Icon, crackles, retardation, puking static, rocking a gabber party, cutting a worm in half and watching both parts moving, get a watch tatoo on his wrists, confusing videogames with music, drawing little puke characters on friends faces...>>" Hmmm. It's all Greek to 3D. Oh, yeah. The evening will set you back five EUR. The invite described the fee as "damage." Hey, they got that right! http://www.planetart.nl/ 

FRIDAY: 30th April
FRIDAY: 30th April

QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY...Long Live the Queen!

SATURDAY: 1st May
SATURDAY: 1st May 

12-19:00 "retort" (Aalsmeerweg 103). "Charcoal beeldeoneerten in houtskool." Not sure what this is all about, but there are two dates---today and tomorrow---for "try-outs" for a Toon de Zoeten film. RSVP: info@retortproject.nl and more info at: https://bit.ly/2vd8Gss 

(?) 15:00 Galerie Petit (N.Z. Voorburgwal 270). "40th Year Anniversary." That's some run for a gallery. They are presenting 70 artists who have submitted work in one of two formats: 10x40 cms., or 40x10 cms., https://bit.ly/2uFfPSi 

16-18:00 De Witte Voet (Kerkstraat 135). Rod Bugg (UK). "A Circular Shift," drawings and sculpture. https://bit.ly/2NSLxnD 

16-18:00 "Gallery nine" (Keizersgracht 552). Ronny Delrue and Zhifei Yang, "My life is my dream, my dream is not my life/1" drawings and sculpture. https://bit.ly/2O2dGJ6 

16:00 Galerie De Stoker (Witte de Withstraat 124). "Portrait Month" at the gallery. https://bit.ly/2Niwzqa 

17-19:00 Galerie TORCH (Lauriergracht 94). Kahn/Selesnick. This duo does "elaborate historical fabrications." http://torchgallery.com

17-19:00 Galerie Fons Welters (Bloemstraat 140). Pere Llobera. "Tired of being strong," and Magali Reus. https://bit.ly/2NOPpoX 

20:30 Punt WG (M. v. B. Bastiaansestraat 15). "0105" "MINISTOFANIMATIEMOLENBALLENPERFORMANCE," [Sic] From an idea by Harriët van Reek and Geerten Ten Bosch. https://puntwg.nl/ 

SUNDAY: 2nd May
SUNDAY: 2nd May 

14:00 Galerie Stam (Prinsengracht 356 sous). Odette Kleeblaat and Monica Sandell. https://bit.ly/2A720Sg 

15-17:00 Gallery Godá (Weteringschans 69). "De Hennipman Collectie," group show of 24 artists. Expect figurative representational. http://www.goda.nl/ 

TUESDAY: 4th May
TUESDAY: 4th May 

22:30 Felix Meritis (Keizersgracht 324). Performance by Joseph Semah: "Amsterdam van boven - Amsterdam van beneden." http://www.josephsemah.nl/, https://bit.ly/2veVof0 
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Aaah, 3D's favortie day, in The Netherlands, will be this Friday: the Queen's Birthday. The world's biggest party; the world's biggest garage sale; and the day Holland takes a day off from the rest of the world. But save a little money for art or take the money you make from selling from your blanket and BUY art. These simple instructions will get you through the drab blahs of everyday life. You can make ANY day special by BUYING a piece of art...Hey, who's that? That's 3D looking for something to BUY that will make me fly. 

Photo: Why doesn't he hurry up and snap the shutter...I gotta pee!", At "muzyQ" for the Robert Pennekamp exhibition, Photograph by: Maartje Pronk

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