Going back in time: Daniel Gould’s 3D List, Art in Amsterdam #29

A day without art is like a day without sunshine...And since the Dutch are always complaining about the dearth of golden rays it is just another good reason to buy a work of art this coming weekend. You gotta hurry! The season ends in only a few weeks. Oh, the horror, the horror...

INDEX:

Bits & Pieces:

What You Missed Last Week:

What Is Happening This Week: 

BITS & PIECES

Aaaah, the modern age...Now it appears that even turtles can be video artist. "An underwater camera lost by Dutchman Dick de Bruijn during a holiday in Aruba...has turned up in Florida." The camera was apparently turned on when it was lost. It caught onto the turtle's leg and the result is an expressionistic underwater journey with surreal qualities and a great feel for light. The turtle was unnamed. http://www.dutchnews.nl/archives/2010/06/sea_turtle 
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This coming weekend (Friday through Sunday, 10-17:00) 25 "Herenhuises" will open their gardens FREE to the public. If you have never seen these gardens you have missed an important aspect of the Amsterdam city scape. https://bit.ly/2pNaCbR 
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De NieuweKerk continues their 600th year anniversary celebration with religious music concerts from Thursday, the 17th, to Wednesday, the 23rd. For the program see: https://www.nieuwekerk.nl/ 
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This is what the French writer/philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre had to say about football: "In football everything is complicated by the presence on the other team." You can't get more pithy than that. 
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STEIM is offering a "4-day Interactive Software Intensive Workshop with visual artist, performer and designer Jamie Griffiths" from the 23rd to 26th of August. The FEE is 300 EUR. More info at: https://bit.ly/2MhIC6J
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The Club of Amsterdam has posted at their web-site (http://www.clubofamsterdam.com) a ten minute summary of the last lecture, "The Future of CERN," with Dr. Sergio Betrolucci. Oh, yeah, you can see 3D in the middle of it all...well, at least his bald spot...Damn, it's bigger than the ozone hole.
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Going to Italy this summer on your holiday? Two Amsterdam artists are showing at the Luigi Pecci Centre forContemporary Art located in Prato. Thom Puckey shows marble sculptures sitting atop a pedestal and against a wall painting backdrop by Jan van der Ploeg. The show was arranged by Aschenbach & Hofland Galleries. Until 11th January. 
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More photos from "The Polaroid Collection" will be auctioned off by Sotheby's (New York) on the 21st and 22nd of June. See the on-line catalog at: http://www.sothebys.com (N.B. This is a bankruptcy auction which means everything MUST BE sold no matter the last bid amount.) 
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Randy Newman, singer and composer, has had 19 Oscar nominated original songs. His name will finally be added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Actor Eric Idle, of Monty Python fame, said, "I have a confession to make today. I love Randy Newman...And not just physically. I love his music. Who could resist a man who looks like a dentist, writes like Voltaire, sings like a frog on heroin---and breaks just like a little girl." Newman's latest film effort is his score for "Toy Story 3" which he scored. (Int. Herald Tribune, "People," 5th June.) 

3D's own story regarding Randy Newman is a lesson in American arrogance concerning popular music. I never heard of him until I first arrived in Holland back in 1972. A Dutch musician friend introduced him to me. I was overjoyed to see "Dayton Ohio, 1903" listed as a song title on the LP. No one had written a song about my hometown before. Once I was back in the states, sometime around 1976, I hung out at a bar/cafe, JPs, frequent by people in the music industry. Often, recording "stars" dropped by. One early morning hour, someone was playing at the piano. I turned to the guy sitting next to me who worked for Billboard, a music trade magazine, and said, "That's sounds like Randy Newman." He answered, "I don't know who Randy Newman is, but that's Billy Joel." I replied, "Who's Billy Joel?" Within a year or two, both would become household names. Newman finally did it with "Short People." It became controversial amongst midgets and dwarfs.
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Superfoods for MEN: Lentils for energy; Sesame seeds for sex drive; Edamame (green soybeans in a pod) for mood; Brazil Nuts for prostate (only 2 or 3/day); Sardines for the heart; and Blueberries for everything. 
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The decline of the city of Detroit continues...The city will close 32 schools from a present total of 172 at the end of this school year. 1,983 teachers will get their walking papers. Kansas City will close 26 of 61 schools and Cleveland, 16. 275,000 education jobs were lost last year in the USofA. Hey, maybe they could sell one MX ICBM to Iran. The proceeds could keep all these schools---and probably a 1,000 more---in operation.
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WHAT YOU MISSED LAST WEEK: 

Thursday: 

OutlookStore (Zeedijk 22) shows street and comic strip like art. "Racalone" does A4 canvases in b/w of figures that resemble those seen in video games and at 24 EUR each/ Label them cheap!..."Fark" makes doll-like figures standing 20+ cms., high which look like friendly aliens in black/blue-green (@150 EUR). Fark also does paintings that look like they are off-springs from love affairs between ETs and Looney Tunes characters. Fun. (30x30 cms., @ 100 EUR). ..."Bue the Warrior" does cartoon-like characters air brushed on canvas. But the imagery isn't what you remember from the Looney Tunes (70x70 cms., @ 400 EUR)..."Chase" paints cartoon figures with a touch of surrealism and adds typography with pithy phrases like, "Remember Who You Are," and "Wisdom Is Knowledge Applied," and "You Can't Until You Say You Can." 

There is a small selection of books available with titles like, "Pop Surrealism: The Rise of Underground Art," Edited by Kristen Anderson; "Abject Expressionism: Ron English," by Todd Schoor," "American Surreal," "Citizen KanoL: The Art of the Hustle," and "Non-Species: Contemporary Character Design Made in Asia." This was my second visit to this shop. On the first, a little over a year ago, it specialize in CDs by indie labels. That market has crashed thanks to the Internet. They now feature "Designer Toys" which are limited edition figurines that look like they were made on Mars. Labor is probably cheaper there. Until 2nd July. https://amsterdamstreetart.com/      https://bit.ly/2OKMIGg 
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Friday: 

"outLINE" (Oetewalerstraat 73) had an interview with the current artist showing at the space. Emilio Novani is the winner of the "AanZet! 2010" award. He is a contemporary photographer that manages to maintain an avant-garde approach as to his style, but with illusions to vintage photography of the late 19th century. His subject matter isn't anything that you could describe as special, but his compositions and/or posing do convey personal elements you might expect to find in a family's photo album. He also shows a video that has elements of style that reflect silent films of the early 20th century. (28x35 cms., C-print on Dibond @ 300 EUR; 53x120 cms., C-print on Forex @ 450 EUR.) Until 10th July. https://bit.ly/2LzEjXq 
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A new gallery in the city is "Schrank8" (Wagenaarstraat 331) and presented their third exhibition. The artist showing is a graphic designer, Michiel Schuurman, who does colorful posters often with psychedelic concepts as a theme. And even though there is a retro feel, dating back to the 50s, he reinvents the style into contemporary if not avant-garde. There are also illusions to Pop school artist and particularly Robert Indiana. He reinterprets the influence in b/w and to a good effect. (Posters priced from 60 to 150 EUR. Price depends on quantities still available.) The gallery is the initiative of Hansje van Halem and is a "home gallery" with shows in her "living room." She is a graphic artist, by profession, and while the gallery is not meant to focus on the graphic arts it has done just that so far. When asked if it was meant to be a commercial gallery, she replied, "No, but I don't want it to cost me any money either." https://bit.ly/2vx5fNu 
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Saturday: 

At Art A Casa (Kerkstraat 411) is a Chinese artist, Li Xiaofend. He is showing paintings, prints and scrolls. There are, of the latter, six examples (140 cms., long). They are in traditional style, but he has up-dated both the look and technique. He maintains the customary imagery of flowers but arranges them into a contemporary composition. Large flower paintings, and with beautiful colors, deviate from the traditional in that he borrows from Jackson Pollock. That is, he sort of dribbles paint over the painted imagery creating a pleasing and somewhat expressionistic effect. Also on display are Giclée prints of both flowers and female portraits. (120x90 cms., oil and acrylic on canvas @ 3,000 EUR; 140x37 cms., scroll, oil and acrylic @ 1,675 EUR; 70x37 cms., mineral pigments @ 825 EUR; 45x45 cms., Giclée prints Ed. 20 @ 325 EUR.) Until 14th July. https://bit.ly/2JL0Mff 
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A group show of about 20 artists is at AdK (Prinsengracht 534). An excellent overview of the artists represented by the gallery. Expect everything from figurative and representational to conceptual and avant-garde. A nice surprise is the nine works by Jacqueline van der Bos whose small acrylics on MDF are priced at only 125 EUR. The style is geometric abstract/expressionism and with very good colors. Other work ranges from 240 EUR---etchings, Ed. 6---to 2,400 EUR for Dinejke Blom's mixed media drawing (70x100 cms.,). Until 17th July. http://www.adkactuelekunst.nl
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KochxBos (1e Anjeliersdwarsstraat 3) is showing four artists. Chris Reccardi takes us back to the 60s both in style and dress. And you can have it two ways: Giclée prints @ 250 EUR; original paintings @ 1,960 EUR...Yoko D'Holbachie gives us an interpretation of ET like figures. As weird as they are whimsical; and very colorful. (30x30 @ 1,500 EUR.)...Daniel Lim, like Reccardi, offers retro figurative imagery which reflects the popular American artist Irving Amen (b. 1918). Remember him? He did young girls with very big eyes and was popular during the 60s. (60x40 cms., @ 790 EUR)...Leendart Misselink is back with his weird drawings which are as much geometric abstractions as they are figurative representational. And he does both without much color. Each work is in blue ball point or maroon. (25x25 cms., @ 550 EUR.) Until ___?___. http://www.kochxbos.nl/
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At TORCH (Laureirgracht 94) are Gordon Clark and Leon Botha. The former is a photographer and the latter is an artist, but in this show he is the main model. You must have an affinity for good photography to appreciate this exhibition because the imagery may turn you off. For the most part, in each work, there are elements of beauty reflecting some element of South Africa, the home for both men. However, the object and focal point in each photo is Botha who is the victim of a genetic disease called Progeria. It ages one prematurely. Most sufferers are dead by 14. Botha has survived to 25 years. To say that he is physically unattractive is an under exaggeration. However, because of that fact, his appearance in each photograph creates the tension whether it is with a beautiful woman or an African landscape. A portrait of Botha against a black background is both dramatic and captivating. If anything, the show will make you appreciate whatever perceived physical short comings you imagine that you personally see in yourself. (120x145 cms., Ed. 6 Lightjet prints @ 4,500 EUR.) Until 10th July. https://bit.ly/2L7qYSK    https://bit.ly/2Kul9xL  
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SM Bureau Amsterdam (Rozenstraat 59) offers a group show for six artists and you are going to see a lotta junk. Literally! Nearly all of them use the detritus from the street to fabricate their work which ranges from the figurative (Huma Bhabha) to a rather abstract conceptual interpretation of a motorized scooter by Papa Adama. Also showing Daniel Spoerri, George Osodi, Clemens von Wedemeyer, Jimmie Durham. Until 8th August. https://bit.ly/1uSN1xM 
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Boris van Berkun is at "witzenhuisen GALLERY" with enormous ceramic objects which have been inspired by both Indian (India) and Nigerian mask. His work tends to be elaborate representations of symbols and spiritual icons. But elaborate is the key description. It is not only the added elements but the almost surreal nuances of the figurative that become key elements. One piece is also a fountain and the cascading waters convey a sense of tranquility. Until ___?___. https://bit.ly/2zCqZwM
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Sunday: 

NP40 (Middenweg 22) is showing an American artist, Meikle Gardner. He hangs an interesting assortment of paintings and mixed-media pieces. What is interesting about the several styles represented is that they are similar but with a divergence that is often unexpected. A couple of works are examples of abstract/expressionism. Two are dip-tychs and another is a trip-tych. In all these works each section is drawn together by a line that meanders across the surface of the painting from canvas to canvas. 

Another unusual style and technique is seen in works where layers of paint have been applied to the surface and he then sands it down creating a haphazard color arrangement. But he doesn't stop there. Each work is a dip-tych which is placed at a corner, of the wall, and is thus perpendicular to its mate. He then cuts out a figurative image---he uses profile of people like Picasso and Joseph Beuys---and places a mirror behind them. The same work has cut-out typography and, again, with a mirror behind. 

A large 160x200 cms., drawing is on 15 separate sheets of paper. The imagery is a figurative geometric simplistic work in black wash, pencil and red paint as a background. The abstraction factor comes from the white borders of each sheet of paper. The symbols are combined with the figurative. Nice. (40x30 cms., mixed-media @ 300 EUR; 2xs 40x35 cms., dip-tych, mixed media with mirrors @ 750 EUR; 160x200 cms., drawing on paper @ 3,500 EUR.) Until 3rd July. https://bit.ly/2A09aaY 

WHAT IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK: 

Reminder: When you see (?)---and you will this week---please be advised that the info may be WRONG. Likewise when you note "*" after the time. Check before going. 

FRIDAY: 18th June, 2010
FRIDAY: 18th June, 2010 

15:00 "cbk" (Oranje-Vrijstaatkade 71). Edgar Cairo (1948-2000), paintings, both figurative and abstract. http://www.cbkamsterdam.nl/ 

17:00 LUX Photo Gallery (Postjesweg 1). Michel Szulc Krzyzanowski, "Sequences." Plus a book signing. http://www.luxphotogallery.com/ 

18:00 de Appel (1e J. van Campenstraat 59). "Super Normal" Bjarne Melgaard and Rod Blanco (the latter "person" does not exist. "He" is a "fictional personality who may simultaneously be regarded as a 'production unit.'") Whatever that means. Also, an occasion for a book presentation by the artist. http://www.deappel.nl (N.B. On Sunday, 11th July, at 15:00, there is a FREE guided tour of the exhibition.)

20:00-22:30+ NIMk (Keizersgracht 264). Interface Study Group presents "'interface' as the centre of technology mediated experience and will reveal trends, notions and tangible prototypes that stretch and challenge the still predominant screen-spectator arrangement." A complete program with several people making a presentation. FREE, but RSVP: elena@salto.nl. More info: https://bit.ly/2OdATaC    https://bit.ly/2LZHDv3; https://bit.ly/2m4s9Hy  

20:00 STEIM (Utrechtsedwarsstraat 134). This is the "official STEIM summer party day. It's a day to celebrate the...summer days with concerts from some of the most innovative and creative musicians in live music making." FREE. http://steim.org/ 

SATURDAY: 19th June
SATURDAY: 19th June

12-22:00 Open Art Exposition (Distelweg, Amsterdam Noord). "Art in the Name of Art," paintings, drawings, photos, and more styles; + music, food, drinks, films, etc. In you are interested in participating contact at: honderddertien@gmail.com

(?)15:00* Galerie Rademakers (Prinsengracht 572). Ryszard Bolechowski (Poland). https://bit.ly/2JvtSz2 

17:00 RADAR Architecture & Art (1e Rozendwarsstraat 17). "From engineers of yesterday, aka so far so good." By Dirk Polak. The artists is the singer of the cult band "Mecano," makes "Meccano" works, drawings, paintings and objects. https://bit.ly/2vFIfvE   https://bit.ly/2AmjWZr 

17-19:00 Galerie Fons Welters (Bloemstraat 140). Megali Reus, "Weekend," and Lena Rot in the Playstation. https://bit.ly/2LZAAPK 

17:00 Beeldhouwerscollectief ABK (Van der Hoopstraat 39). Group show of 13 artists, "''Re-Cycle,' i.s.m. Kasteel-Museum Sypesteyn." https://bit.ly/2nc0Hbq 

SUNDAY: 20th June
SUNDAY: 20th June 

12-22:00 Open Art Exposition (see Saturday for info)

16:00 Nieuw Dakota (NDSM-werf, Ms. v. Riemsdijkweg 41b). The closing reception for the current exhibition "Common Ground." https://bit.ly/1i1CKyW 

20:15-01:00 Hermitage - Amsterdam (Amstel 51). "Witte Nacht," celebration with music from Jazz to DJs, the National Ballet +++. Entry 10 EUR. Full program at: https://bit.ly/2zFxUSe 

TUESDAY: 22nd June 
TUESDAY: 22nd June 

20:00 NIMk (Keizersgracht 264). ">50% image," An evening of new videos from the NIMk collection. Entry: 3.50 EUR; students, 2.50 EUR. RSVP: reservations@nimk.nl See details: https://bit.ly/2m4s9Hy 

THURSDAY: 24th June
THURSDAY: 24th June 

(?)17:00 Allard Pierson Museum (Oude Turfmarkt 127). "Sail Rome: Schepen en havens in de Romeinse tijd." http://www.allardpiersonmuseum.nl/ 

17:30 "foam" (Keizersgracht 609). Karl Blossfeldt, photography. https://bit.ly/2Lavlwl
*** 

Not too much happening this week as the season slowly winds down. But that means it will take little effort on your part; if, indeed, an effort is required. If one is, then you shouldn't be reading the 3D List in the first place. It is a newsletter for ART LOVERS...and art lovers BUY ART! Please remember THAT! Now where has 3D heard that before? 

Photo: 3D helps celebrate Fabiola's 39th birthday...Well, who questions a ladies age?                                      Photograph by:  Isabelle Dermain 

http://gould3dlist.blogspot.nl/  

 

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