Going back in time: Daniel Gould’s 3D List, Art in Amsterdam #83

Housing sales for 2014 were up 30%, in the Netherlands, according to the news. So people are spending money again. Unfortunately, the earlier indications that the Amsterdam art market had hit bottom and was bouncing back hasn't really panned out. There has been a dearth of RED DOTS. January' openings are few and far between. Galleries are cutting back on cost. Never a good sign. 

What to do? Well, that's up to you. You say you love art, well let's show it. Buy something!

Update: GOOD NEWS!!! 17 galleries have had opening since the original 3D List, #4, was posted. And there are six galleries which had three or more RED DOTS at their openings. REJOICE!!!

Another update: Galerie Franzis Engels (Nieuwevaart 200) responded to the latter paragraph by emailing 3D this report: EIGHT RED DOTS at their recent opening---3D missed it. Pity. The artists showing Leon van Opstal, Wicher Meursing, Jennifer Townley and Willem van Weeghel...And, 3D attended the finissage at De Witte Voet, (Kerkstraat) and counted SEVEN RED DOTS

It should be noted---with the exception of the last two galleries mentioned---that the RED DOTS I make note of are AT THE OPENING, 3D is sometimes early and sometimes I come in at the end. So, it is an indication that people are BUYING. Sometimes, when there are three or more RED DOTS, at the end of the exhibition period it is a nearly SOLD OUT SHOW

INDEX:

Bits & Pieces:

Museum Review:  "foam," The Van Loon Family

Restaurant Reviews: Pho 91; Vietnamese

What You Missed Last Week:

BITS & PIECES:

Check this out: "Marlene Dumas and the art of life," by Roderick Conway Morris. (www.inyt.com, 20th Feb.). He reviews her show at the Tate Modern. 3D visited the Tate Modern shortly after it opened. I was surprised when I walked into a gallery that featured Henri Matisse' bronze reliefs and Marlene Dumas. I thought what a nice complement to her art.
***
Any guesses as to the most expensive photograph in the world? Could it be by Ansel Adams, Man Ray, N. Helmuth, Walker Evans? None of them! It is an Australian, Peter Lik. His b/w photo, titled "Phantom," of the USofA's Grand Canyon, sold recently for $6,500,000.
*** 
A new Dutch based website features art and music. The site, eightfold.net represents artists and musicians, designing products around their work and selling a changing online collection." This month it features Felix Steye's (Rotterdam)  efforts with "Between Figuration and Abstraction." email: info@eightfold.net,  See: https://bit.ly/2ONWqap 
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An article by Scott ReyburnArt Fair 'fatigue' may resolve itself (www.inyt.com, 26th Jan), says, "'...The heyday of the art fair seems to be over,'  Skate's Art Market Research proclaimed on 19th January [2015], reporting that 1,032,792 people attended the world's top 20 Art Fairs in 2014, a 7.4% decline from the previous year." The Art Newspaper's 2015 calendar list 269 fairs, nine fewer than last year. "The problem now according to one dealer, 'The wealthiest art buyers now want to buy only the best and those with less money don't want---or can't afford---to buy the rest. Given time, this could well reduce the problem of there being too many art fairs."  
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Laser 3.14 is back with this ditty: "And the news tries to keep the news out of the news." Huh!!! Is this double-Dutch in English? Seen at Singel 350...And more: "The Decline of Reason." Yes, there are signs. Seen at N. Kerkstraat 22; and next door at #26: "So Many Useful Idiots." Is he referring to politicians? 
***   
...Maybe a word from Calvin (Casper) and Hobbes would be an appropriate way to follow Laser 3.14. Calvin says, "A lot of people don't have principles. But I do!  I 'm a highly principled person! I live according to one principle, and I never deviated from it." Hobbes: "What's your principle?" Calvin: "Look out for number one!" Hmmm....Maybe that's what's wrong with the world!
***
Someone sent to me a list of "philosophical" quotations. "If life were fair, Elvis would still be alive today and all the impersonators would be dead." Johnny Carson. "I don't believe in astrology. I am a Sagittarius and we're very skeptical." Warren Tantum. "Home cooking. Where many a man thinks his wife is." Jimmy Durante.  "If God had intended us to fly he would have made it easier to get to the airport." Jonathan Winters
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"My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas." Huh? What's that all about? Well, it is a memory trick for remembering the names of all the planets, as well as their order, in our solar system, from the sun. It "spells" out: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. The latter may or may not be a planet...Actually, we are about to find out as a probe that was launched nine years ago is quickly "winging" its way into Pluto's orbit. 
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Hubert H. Humphrey, who ran against Richard Nixon, in 1968, for the American' presidency said, "To err is human.To blame it on others is politics." Amen to that!
***
Perhaps 3D should follow with this latest FLASH: "V&D is to cut wages by 5.8%; also it will be cutting 50 jobs out of 450 at its Amsterdam Service Center. It lost 42 million euro on sales of 619 euro in 2013." What does the government have to say about this revolting development? Nothing! 3D says, austerity sucks! Not to mention it certainly has NOT helped. America's unemployment is down to 5.4%; GM sold 9,925,000 automobiles last year. You remember GM? President Obama saved their skin along with Chrysler. The latter has had 52 consecutive months of increasing sales. 
***
If you have an interest in the Israeli/Palestinian question check out www.gate48.org which, along with Univ of Amsterdam, present a symposium titled: Jerusalem---A City Disunited. It will address "the political, social and historical processes [that] influence the city today," as well as, "unseen or hidden aspects of the current political and social situation in the city. On Thursday, 12th Feb., a public lecture at De Balie and on, the 13th, Friday an all day series of talks. www.gate48.org 
***
Looking for a workshop/gallery space? Check out Sarah Blackwelder and Monica Perez Vega's website: https://bit.ly/2N0GfF3         Contact them at: studio30a.amsterdam@gmail.com
***
On a previous list, 3D took you on a stroll through DeHallen,in the old-west, the new food court. I did briefly described about 60% of the stands and food offered and said I would list the rest on a future list. Well, I don't think that is any longer necessary. It is an overwhelming success. It is packed nearly everyday including during the afternoon. On a recent Sunday, myself and another person visited with the intention of eating. Forget it! There were perhaps four or five single seats empty at various locations. Hey, that's great!
***

MUSEUM REVIEW:  "foam," The Van Loon Family in Pictures

"foam" (Keizersgracht 609) presents the Van Loon Family in pictures. The work begins with the late 19th century and continues through the present. The stlye is portrait photography. And some of the photos could have graced the pages of a fashion magazine. There are hundreds to see from baby pictures to PR photos from the present. The photographers include, Nadar, Studio Merkelbach, Koos Breukel anbd Edwin Olaf. Until 29th March www.foam.org 

RESTAURANT REVIEW:  Pho 91, Vietnamese Eatery 

The Albert Cuypstraat is in its essence two streets: The daytime one with its extensive open market; and nighttime one when you can see the shops, restaurants, et al that are only visible when all the stalls have been removed. 3D knows the daytime street, but a few weeks ago I was biking down the Albert Cuyp at night. By chance, I passed a restaurant that appeared to be full on a week night. I stopped and went to the window but couldn't see a menu. I made note of the name and the next day I Googled. 

Pho 91 opened last June and it seems to have been an immediate success. The magazine ELLE named it to its Amsterdam' Top 25 Restaurants for 2015. That some accomplishment in such a short time. So what is all the fuss? Good Food! And, I might add, reasonably priced. 

First of all: NO RESERVATIONS are accepted. Well, that's sorta true. When you arrive, you will be told that there is a 45 minute wait or longer. You are welcome to sit at a bench for the period or go to a cafe on the Cuyp; they will call you on your cell when a table is available. There are about 24 seats. 

The menu is short. Not a big selection like another popular Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, where you have 96 dishes to select from. Here, there are about 15 or so. But making a choice isn't easy. Everything sounded very tasty. Looking at the other tables the first thing that gets your attention is the large over sized bowls. 

I decided on a starter made from chicken wings---I love chicken wings. The menu said Cahn Ga Chicken was "crispy fried and drizzled with caramelised fish sauce." And it was very crispy, and there was not a doughy taste. The fish sauce was, in a word, exquisite. Added to that basic are toppings of fried garlic, coriander, spring onions and sliced chili's. That made it: Mmmmm, good! A real taste treat! (four pieces, 5 euro)

For my first entree adventure I decided on their signature dish: Pho91 (14 euro) which is a noodle soup consisting of rice noodles and bean sprouts in a beef broth, topped with coriander, saw tooth herb, spring onion and red onions. Served with Asian basil and lime which flavors cooked beef brisket and rare beef slices, chicken, and homemade meatballs.

When the dish arrives the beef slices are still red through the middle. Slowly it is cooked in the hot broth, adding to the meatiness of the soup, and the other flavors come together but, and amazingly so, each maintain their individual characteristics: sweet, sour, spicy, as well as their textures and all have a sense of being fresh. The meatballs were surprisingly Dutch-like but not dry like so many of the Dutch variety. What you get is one taste experience with every spoonful of broth, noodles or bean sprouts. On the side is the traditional Thai hot chili sauce, Sriracha (made in California), and Sweet Hoisin Sauce. Neither are really necessary and you might even find them a distraction from the actual dish. Complaints? Well, yes, I couldn't finish the really big bowl. I was truly sated. Full to the brim! I left about a third of the broth. Where is the doggie bag when you need it? I washed it all down with Saigon beer (4 euro). 

(Footnote: I checked out the site IENS which features reviews by clients of restaurants. Nearly all gave Pho91 four or five stars. But two stood out because of the "complaints." Markus M. Cuperton (CA, USA) said, "The portion is pretty small, about half the size of what I'm used to in Calif., The broth tasted like the canned stuff you get at Ranch 99." Well, American portions are always too big and, as I have said, I am a man who considers himself a big eater and I couldn't finish my bowl. As to the use of canned broth...I very much doubt that. I didn't taste neither salt no nitrates which are always present, in abundance, in processed food. Murcus gave Pho 91 three stars. I give his review one. Francesca C. (Amsterdam)  said, "Great for Dutch standards, mediocre for LA or hallo Vietnam. I'd go again." Why?  She says it is mediocre and compares it to LA. Both are a far cry from Vietnam. She says "hallo Vietnam" but doesn't indicate if she was ever there. Oh, yeah, she gave it four stars; not bad for being mediocre. Go figure! 

Pho 91, Albert Cuypstraat 91.

www.pho91.nl,  facebook.com/PhoNinetyOne 

WHAT YOU HAVE MISSED...but there still may be time 

New postings/28th February

RA GALLERY (Nes 120) shows the recent work of the Norway new jewelry designer Sigurd Bronger. His work is inspired by industrial technology and medical devises that he uses to create rings, necklaces and brooche; the components range from computer chips to hand vice grips. The hand vices hold such things as an egg, a metal ball and a small glass flask filled with zircon stones (synthetic diamonds); also a magnifying glass, steel, leather, gold, chrome plated brass and a cactus spike? Whatever. A necklace might confuse you . At the end is a rectangular metal frame which holds what looks like a chewing gum wrapper which reads: BROOCH. Cute! A brooch with a big smiley face is fun. Imaginative and tongue-in-cheek designs. Until 11th April. www.galerie-ra.nl 
***
...And there is more new jewelry at Galerie Rob Koudijs (Elandsgracht 12); and it is a cool show featuring the works of Beppe Kessler. She does it all! New jewelry? For sure! But then she does paintings?---if that is the proper classification---on wood, copper, messing and aluminium. The paintings are interesting because she uses not only acrylic paint, but graphite as well; and sometimes she uses an implement to scratch the surface thus exposing the metal. As to the jewelry, Brooches and necklaces. the brooches sometime have a base of both metal and wood. She adds a geometric design and covers it all with resin. Some look as if they are holographs. A series of 24 brooches are made from apricot tree wood and are very reasonable priced at 175 to 250 euro. Then there are two works where each is offered at a "two for one" price. One is a necklace and the other piece is a wall hanging and they both are from the same original source. That is, she augers from the metal compositon nine circular pieces about three cms., in diameter and they make up the necklace. As 3D asserted at the beginning: A cool exhibition with lots of cool work! (175, to 1,450 to 2,500 euro) 10 RED DOTS at opening. Until 11th April.  www.galerierobkoudijs.nl
***
Marthe Zink is a BMB (Kerkstraat 129) with her conceptual representational/figurative non-compositional paintings/drawings. She prefers working with pencil and color pencil with dabs of paint here and there. Her composition are free form. That is, you see a hamburger complementing a Polaroid snap shot seemingly floating in space. Sometimes we see the surreal---Rene Magritte style. Her figurative nudes hark back to the style of Michelangelo. Most works are simple, however the are a few that are very busy. The prices, considering the quality of the work, are reasonable. In addition, there is a group show of the gallery's other artists. (34x 24 cms., @ 550 , 650, 1,100 and 200x126 cms., @ 2,500 euro.)  Until 21st March. www.galeriebmb.nl 
***
Cafe Lellebel: Drag Show Bar (Utrechtsestraat 4, just off the Rembrandtplein) is just what it is! 3D doesn't not generally review exhibitions at cafes/bars nor restaurants.Too many. However, I do attend when invited by an artist. In this case, it was the photographer Guus Helms. He said, "The opening is at a gay cafe!" Okay! Well, that was an understatement. The cafe is a little gem of kitsch perfection. Truly bad kitsch! Luv it! It is small and 25 people make for a crowd. There is even a small stage in one corner under professional spotlights; the "girls," behind the bar, do performance. Don't ask? We were met at the entrance by The Brothers Grimm Amsterdam; decked out in silver plated cloth and with "chicken-like" plumage on their heads. Behind the bar were two drag queens, Tiffani and Roos looking absolutely flamboyant in a grotesque sort of way. On the ceiling is embossed wallpaper with a flower design as well as silk roses that weave their way across the room. It looks like a dive and it is probably meant to. And it was a perfect venue for Helms photos. He was in Bangkok and photographed katoey (lady boys). I was fooled. I thought they were "bar-girls." Helms style is heavy, very heavy, b/w contrast. It is fitting because while the lady boys have smiles on their faces you feel their pain. He captures their desperation; humiliation and hope. Especially, the hope. www.lellebel.nl 
***
At TORCH (Lairiergeacht 94)  is the photography of Louise te Poele who takes us back to the days when trompe-l'oeilwas in fashion and up dates the style in several contemporary ways. Like the earlier technique, they are also still lifes and more often than not you see a slight influence of Rene Magritte. She uses objects---and a wide variety---like instruments, fish, frilly laced ribbons, beer bottles, slice of bread, et al and builds them into a representational composition. Once the work is completed, she goes an extra step using PhotoShop. While several stand  out, the piece de resistance is a panoramic photo measuring 150x300 cms. (50x40 cms., ultra chrome printed on basyte fine art paper on alumi9nium. Ed. 5 @ 1,050 euro; 150x100 cms., same technique, Ed 5 @ 3,5000 euro) Until 28th March. www.torchgallery.com
***
John Snijders is the curator for the group show, of seven artists, at SLEWE. Jill Baroff does hundreds of concentric circles emanating from the center of the paper's edge. The lines are in different shades and thickness of black ink...Tom Benson is a monochromatic painter but each color has a subtle range of hues as a nuance...Katie Paterson hangs three monochromatic silver gelatin photographs. Each is unique...David Connearn shows eight meticulous redundant line drawings in glorious black...Ignacio Uriarte is in a phrase: mind blowing. A drawing, in four colors, and a collage of the four colors...well, that's the crux of the matter. Until 21st. March www.slewe.nl  (Note: there will be a finissage on the 21st of March with John Snijders concert.) 
***
The Mini Galerie (Kinkerstraat 12) has left the mini-living room of the gallery holder, Julia van der Meer. She began her activities back in 2011. The new space is another step up the ladder, bigger and a naturally good space for showing art. Her present show is for the German artist Clemens Behr, who is making his first appearance in the Netherlands. He presents monumental works confined to small spatial dimensions like A4 and A3. This is not what you might be expect of someone noted for "his monumental paintings and sculptures," read: large. The works are more than wall sculpture made from discarded material. Some reflect the Russian Constructionist of the 20s and 30s. They sometimes appear to be an architectural model; a few have a Frank Gehry feel. Most are collages. but made with material not generally associated with collages. Nearly all are three dimensional. A refreshing body of work consisting of 32 examples of the artist's oeuvre. (29x22x13.5 cms., wood assemblage @ 450 euro; 40x50 cms., wood,bin bag, spray paint @ 1,100 euro; 74x55.5 cms., wood assemblage @ 2,100 euro)  THREE RED DOTS Until 28th March. www.minigalerie.nl  
***
Galerie Ron Mandos (Prinsengracht 282) features a solo exhibition for the American artist Anthony Goicolea. He is an artist that is difficult to categorize stylistically and/or according to technique. He has a series of b/w---with shades of gray---portraits that 3D describes as in the style of motion photography. Another series of 13 titled "Choral Member" shows women with a white cloth covering their face in the same technique without the motion factor. Are they crying? The works are displayed on music stands. Both series are graphite, acrylic on Mylar. There is a floor "installation" which has a Japanese flavor. There are three painting/drawings which are anchored in large stones; and all surrounded by smaller stones acting as a frame. They are offered for sale separately. A series of mixed media pieces (graphite and ink) are mesmerizing. They look like they are collages. They are not! They look dimensional and they are...almost. 3D likes the typewriter that is spewing forth reams of paper. Amazing show! You think you are viewing the work of more than one artist. (45x45 cms., graphite, acrylic on Mylar on aluminum board @ 5,900 euro; 140x102 cms., Lambda print on dibond @ 16,800 euro; 245x199 cms., acrylic andink on mylar @ 40,000 euro)  Until 21st March. www.ronmandos.nl 
***
Once again, Galerie Gabriel Rolt (Tolstraat 84) is presenting a group show and this one features seven artists. Danielle van Ark (NL) hangs five large works on mirrored cardboard. Each is an exercise in conceptual redundancy. The redundant part is her name. She has written "Danielle" hundreds if not thousand of times. Hey, it's okay with me. I am personally fond of the name Daniel!...Ruta Butkute (Lithuania) does conceptual floor installations using familiar construction material like Plexiglas, hose, plaster board, foam board, et al....Shezad Dawood (UK) shows a film that harks back to the silent era of film. There is a soundtrack, however, at the opening, it wasn't functioning...Maurice van Es (NL) hangs eight photos and all are out-of-focus. The subject matter is banal, but he raises the imagery to a monumental level. Also on show are: Arno Nollen (NL); Ingmar Konig (Germany); and Paulien Barbas (NL). (Price range: 1,250 to 4,600 euro; S. Dawood's Super 16mm, transferred to HD, 14 minutes, Ed 5 @ 12,000 euro) Until 11th March. www.gabrielrolt.com 
***
Marlies Rekers is at MLB Galerie (Witte de Withstraat 32)  with conceptual geometric/abstract paintings and prints. Her small paintings, generally A4, in size, or smaller, are simple abstracts with a minimum of symbols. The conceptual element is her arrangement of several small paintings into a disconnected but complete composition. Rekers arranges perhaps 9 to 11 small canvases some of which are half-circles, rectangular, and/or triangular into one composition. One group is all monochromatic. The artist is 70 years old but her work is youthful. (40x30 cms., acrylic on linen @ 340 euro; 100x80 cms., acrylic on linen @ 700 euro; 9 works in one composition, acrylic on linen @ 700 euro; 41.5x33 cms., etching @ 175 euro). U"ntil 28th February. www.mlbgalerie.nl
***
Galerie Lieve Hemel (Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 3) is showing Olav Cleofas van Overbeek whose work, while not hyper realistic, comes very close to it. 3D describes the work as conceptual realism. The conceptual part comes from this use of light and shadow and how the imagery is mirrored and all the subsequent nuances. The subject matter consists of apples, grapes, flowers and eggs. Eggs? He makes his own style omelet and raises the state of the egg to sometimes monumental levels. THREE RED DOTS. Until 14th March. www.lievehemel.nl 
***
Samuel Hortulanus is at Percipi Gallery (Rozenstraat 227) and demonstrates effectively why we sometimes describe paintings and drawings as illusions. The work is without a doubt abstract/expressionism; however you get an uncanny feel of the figurative. A grouping of people...but are they people? Does he allude to them as being people? Or are they only dabs and strokes across a black background? His drawings are, figuratively speaking, more accessible. They are static line drawings with a quirky flavor to their view of reality. (25x30 cms., oil on canvas @ 405 euro; 41x55 cms., oil on panel @ 720 euro; 104x75, oil on canvas @ 1,080; drawings: Small @ 150 euro; large @ 225 euro.) Until 22nd March https://bit.ly/2xrBKhW 
*** 
Gallery Vassie (Langestraat 47) is celebrating their 12th Anniversary with a don't miss exhibition. Don't miss it because it is a great overview of 20th century photography. You start with  Herbert Pointing (1910 + 1912) and Jacques Henri Lartique (1905 + 1914) and they are followed with noted photographers for each decade of that century. There is no true focus of style or subject matter. Expect to see examples of the best of each artists over the last 100 years. Film stars? Hey, you'll see a young Sean Connery; Marilyn Monroe, of course; Sophia Loren sucking on a cigarette. Rock Stars? Got them, too: David Bowie, The Stones and even Blondie. Then there are horses, a herd of ostriches and let's not overlook the fashion photography. A few exceptional works. Portraits, landscapes...Well you get the idea; a total of 86 artists show. Prices range from 175 euro to 20,500 euro. Until __?__ www.galleryvassie.com
***
"Jasper Krabbe paints photography" is the title of Kahmann Gallery's (Lindengracht 35)  latest exhibition. Yes, he does paint on photography, but how does one describe the results? 3D really can't! So much is original without being so. That is, he begins with a photo: a nude, say; a portrait with an abstract background; etc and let's his imagination flow. One work is a photo of graffiti on a red painted and decaying wall. It has a Cy Twombly look without being derivative. "Temple" is an example of his making a frame within a frame. The focal imagery looks like a cyclone fence with light nuances. This image is "framed"  by about 40 small drawings by Krabbe. A busy piece! Other added touches include framing framed works with canvas. At the back of the gallery there are a series of small  and often delightfully colored drawings. (27.5x20 cms., archival pigment print + oil paint @ 1,500 euro; 62x88 cms., same technique, Ed 8 @ 5,l500 euro; 150x120 cms., same technique, Ed 3 @ 15,000 euro; 13 drawings as one with colored crayon on cardboard @ 8,500 euro.)  FIVE RED DOTS Until 2nd April www.kahmanngallery.com
***
Galerie Mokum (O.Z. Voorburgwal 334) is showing, in their upstairs space, the work of Douwe Elias who paints colorful---and sometimes subdued colored---interiors in the style of a representational expressionist. There is something about both his style and technique that pays homage to George Hendrik Breitner's nervous strokes. And like Breitner, the results are often mesmerizing. (Price range: 950, 1,170, 2,750, 3,800 to 11,000 euro) THREE RED DOTS.

In the basement section is Onne Boerwinkel who emulates Eugene Boudin, the 19th century French impressionist, with her concentration on group settings. The canvases are small and very busy. A series of four "portraits" is conceptual in their execution. (1,400, 2,350 to 3,400 euro) THREE RED DOTS. Until  15th Marchwww.galeriemokum.nl 
***
The show for Rory Pilgrim, at "andriesse--eyck" (Liliegracht 47), is interesting on several different levels. One is his conceptual view of history as etched in stone like his b/w photo of the placement of the corner stone for the United Nations Building (NYC). Then there is a haunting video expressing his concepts of "following the regular rhythms of the waves governed by the moon, these different elements of nature, voices and women return cynically in the film, highlighting transition from one material state to another." Then there is the more conventional "art." Small posters with pithy sayings like "Time IMPLODES." Hey, a student of Steven Hawking. They are colorful and incorporate several styles of typography. Some come across in dramatic ways. (Silver gelatin print, unique @ 900 euro; 90x40 cms., color poster, unique @ 3,800 euro; HD film, 15 minutes, Ed 6 @ 8,000 euro). Until 28th March. www.andriesse-eyck.com 

Previous reviews:

What better way to begin this part of the 3D List than to report the 40th anniversary of an Amsterdam art gallery. There are few galleries, in the city, that can make such a statement. De Witte Voet (Kerkstraat 135) is owned by Annemie Boisseuain and has been since the space was opened. At the beginning, she showed both art and design: paintings, drawings, photography, jewelry, sculpture, glass and ceramics. Over the years she refined her approach and today she specializes in ceramic work, cutting edge, the avant garde. However, with that said, she often incorporates, into the shows, other techniques by the artist. It is always a surprise at what you see. In the last few years both video pieces and installation have been incorporated. The present exhibition consists of  35 artists. All have had more than one show over the years. If you want to know her secret for success, by all means see this show. It will also give you an excellent overview of the world of ceramics. Until 28th February. https://bit.ly/2NSLxnD 
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At Grimm (Frans Halsstraat 26) is Atelier Van Lieshout. To put his style into a proper perspective he is the Jeff Koons of the Netherlands, but while Koons does kitsch, Lishout does conceptual. Both artists select banal subject matter: Koons does Michael Jackson and Mickey Mouse; Lieshout does hammerheads, drills, spikes and motor crankshafts. Each make them oversize. Very over sized. One work on show is about three meters high. Each piece has its own color pattern and not what you expect from the image itself. There are a couple of large carved "wood blocks" that standout. Until 7th March www.grimmgallery.com 
***
Three artists are exhibiting at Galerie Witteveen (Konijnstraat 16). Sam Drukker leads the parade with his paintings. Drukker always satisfies. There has  always been "a dark cast" to his work and, in this show, there are two works that really exemplify that. A portrait of a black man against a black background demands your attention. You really find yourself "looking into" the work to get its "feel."
Other pieces feature boxers; in one, fighters are in a clench and you "feel" their exhaustion. (50x80 cms., ink on paper @ 1,100 euro; 140x90 cms., oil on canvas @ 11.000 euro)...Paul van Dongen is back with his etchings and drawings of male nudes. His pen and ink drawing style relates directly to the etching technique. (34x45 cms., etch, Ed 3 @ 450 euro; 165x120 cms., etch, Ed 10 @ 3,500 euro)...Jan Peter Muilwijk shows a series of his iconic drawings.While he uses the human form as his model---and realistically---there is a conceptual element which he expresses in different ways. He also hangs a large tapestry of silk woven into a linen base. (drawings 2,750-6,000 euro; tapestry, Ed 2 @ 5,500 euro)  Until 21st February. https://bit.ly/2NR0zdF 
*** 
Bettina Speckner's jewelry, showing at Galerie Rob Koudijs (Elandsgracht 12) ranges from kitschy to "historical" to conceptual. The kitsch is both fun and playful like the bracelet with plastic raspberries. The "historical" uses late 19th century photos framed and presented as a brooch or necklace. Four seashells surround a vase of flowers and are framed with a resin. The conceptual is just that: Unique ideas, linear forms, etching on metal, et al. (Ear rings 1,350-1,900 euro; brooch, 1,650-3,500 euro)...Evert Nijland creates contemporary Meissen-like porcelain figurines. He has updated the traditional designs in a conceptual and fragmented way. There is a table full of small brooches fashioned from  ceramic chard's. (Brooches, 450 euro; objects, 3,000-5,200 euro). Until 21st February. www.galerierobkoudijs.nl 
***
The Eudard Planting Gallery (1e Bloemdwarsstraat 2) was packed. Hard to see the work. It was hard because of the number of people and also because it was impossible to see the work from a proper perspective since nearly all of Micky Hoogendijk's photographs are over-sized. She is an outstanding photographer for several reasons. Obviously, the first is that technically the work could not be executed better. Second, she is attracted to the human form, both male and female. Thirdly, she finds a unique ways to portray these elements. As you enter the gallery and on the left hand wall there are three photos. They look like they could be a triptych because there is a unity to them. (I couldn't get close to the name tag to see a description). The three are a study in contrast of b/w and yin-yang. In one you have a nude in profile; She is black and at the center of the composition+ behind her is a sea of black and she is looking into a field of white. On her far right is an identical composition but the nude is a male, but also black. At the center of the two there is a portrait of a black man and very striking. There is a series of blue/green photos of a nude thrashing under water, It looks like a ballet. (2,100 to 5,000 euro). Until 7th March. www.eduardplanting.com 
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Nynke Koster is at TORCH (Lauriergracht 94) with something different, but what is it? Sculpture? Objects? Reliefs? She takes rubber and makes molds from 14th century Italian bronze doors. The imagery is like di-positive photographs. Indeed, where the bronze doors have a projected 3D image, her pieces are an inversion of the 3D images. Several are wall hangings and there are also floor pieces. A few of the floor pieces welcome you to sit on them. (50x39x36 cms., foam w/ rubber, frame of wood, open edition @ 700 euro; 90x91x10 cms., rubber, fo0am, wooden frame, Ed 20 @ 1,650 euro; 45x150x170 cms., rubber, cast plaster, wood frame, unique @ 4,500 euro)  Until 14th February www.torchgallery.com 
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At first glance, as you enter SLEWE (Kerkstraat 105) and see the work of Robbert-Jan Gijzen, your first impression might be "I've seen it all before!" Well, yes, almost, maybe, but not really. He paints colorful abstract expressionistic works on linen. However, his color balance is unusual; and it depends on what period of his oeuvre it originated from. He "categorizes" in colors: there is his blue period, a yellow one, and a red/blue time. In this show, he focuses on a pink/green contrast. The strong brush strokes are not that solid---there are several nuances and hues of the color in each stroke. And the works projects itself; leaps out at you.  Sure, the colors are a big part of it, but also the depth is central to the imagery. He works with both oil paint and egg tempera. (20x24 cms., tempera and paint @ 1,050 euro; 100x120 cms., oil on linen @ 5,000euro). Until 14th February. www.slewe.nl 
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Galerie Ron Mandos (Prinsengracht 282) hangs a group show which features the return of Rob Johannesma for "Part II," his followup to the previous show at the gallery. He creates subtle expressionistic abstractions. He takes pigments and sasein and impregnates them into a heavy stock paper (638 grams). He favors orange/red for colors. Other works are mixed media. A large ink jet is on paper (341x162 cms.) and is segmented into rectangular sections. Also, he hangs a series titled, "Sonja." It consist of eight risograph images. (103x143 cms., ink, gouache on paper @ 7,000 euro; 164x259 cms., ink jet @ 14,000 euro)...Sharing the front space of the gallery is Dario DÁronco. His work ranges from acrylic paint on carpet fragments---which lays on the floor---to a sculpture work that is in two sections featuring a pair of shoes with toothpick-like legs which gives it a Giacometti feel. And there is humor...he has framed a Polaroid's backside. It is monochromatic black, of course.(27x30 cms., Polaroid @ 4,000 euro; 48x228 cms., acrylic paint on carpet @ 10,000 euro)....In the back galleries is a group show titled "Jan van Eyck Artists in Residence" and thee David Salle---two examples---and Lon Ting. Seven artists in total are represented. One Salle stands-out because of its size of 213x259 cms. How much? You gotta ask!.... Niek Hendrix produces mixed media of oil and pencil on panel....Tim Ellis creates bright colorful collages of mixed media: oak, pine, acrylic, bamboo, nuts, wires and varnish.....Ceda Lewisohn prints b/w abstract imagery using the silkscreen process....And for the unusual there is Huib Hayo van der Werf's offering of T-shirts; each in an edition of 6 at 60 euro. (Group show range: 1,000-4,600 euro). Until 14th February. www.ronmandos.nl 
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Ciou is back at KochxBos (1e Anjeliersdwarstraat 36) with new work and a giant wall painting (244x366 cms.) that is yours if you submit the winning bid. It was up for auction and at the opening the current bid was 5,300 euro. But lets talk about Ciou's imagery and it is always challenging to describe her work because its so iconic and sort of Addams Family in its theme. There is the comic strip element but there is no simplicity in the technique. In fact, big or small, her work is always busy; always challenging to the eye; and always something different. It is like a surrealistic joy ride through never-never land; you want to laugh and maybe sometimes cry. Also on view are small objects which are both playful and endearing. 11 RED DOTS at opening. (10x20 cms., color drawing @ 250 euro; 60x40 cms., color drawing @ 2,900 euro; 50x70 cms., color drawing @ 3,800 euro)  Until 21st February. www.kochxbos.com 
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At Ornis A. Gallery (Hazenstraat 11) is the work of 17 artists; most are German. Several works stand out. Unfortunately, no name tags were next to the works and when I asked for the price list I was told that " it is on the computer."  Whatever! Expect to see sculpture, drawings, paintings---in several styles---collages and even two examples of what could qualify as naive. Then there is the whimsical both as an object and a couple that are paintings. Sorry I can't be more explicit as to who-is-who...Life is hard! Until 28th February. www.ornisagallery.com 
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Another group show at M van Zomeren (Hazenstraat 20)  also has a good group show with a few exceptional pieces on view. Problem is---like the gallery above---there are No name tags nor a price list. Hmmm. Anyway, don't miss the talking man sitting on a sofa. Until __?__ (no invitation card) www.gmvz.com 
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At the Stigter van Doesburg (Elandstraat 90)  is another group show featuring six artists showing paintings, cut-outs, sculpture and whatnot's. Bonno van Doorn shows three works and each is completely different from the others. One is an abstract painting/drawing; and another is an abstract painting with a small installation of objects directly in front of the canvas. (40x30 cms., oil, spray paint, acrylic on canvas @ 900 euro; 110x140 cms.m, oil, spray paint, acrylic on canvas @ 3,800 euro)....Laurence Aegerter hangs a series of conceptual photos of a French Cathedral. Each photo is slightly out-of-focus and feature "sun blotches" throughout the composition. (70x50 cms., Ed 4 @ 1,800 euro)...Daniel van Straaken has a tongue-in-cheek series of acrylics on canvas and all are paintings of T-shirts and with text. (100x80 cms., @ 1,700 euro)Until 7th March. https://bit.ly/2LcyITk 
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Bradwolff Projects (Oetewalerstraat 73) presents two artist. Daniel de Paulis inspiration was "writing on the moon," by the Italian writer Italio Calvinos. The sounds and imagery are the result of "sound tones" which are transmitted to the moon and "radio waves" reflected by the lunar surface." The artist says that creates "...a poetic visual cassadem in a playful act of free association."  Letters, too, appear but they have been distorted by the long journey there and back....Paula Albuquerque presents, "On Screen Debris, Boston, April 2013, depicts and scrutinizes the margins of the image documenting the last couple of minutes before the blast." It focuses on the people--especially on the peripheral---who were also carrying bags like the two brothers who set the bomb. The imagery is out-of-focus and the motions of the crowd jerky. There is an ominous background music and when you put it all together you feel the impending doom. Until 15th February. www.burobradwolff.nl 
***   
A gallery, opened in 2012, has finally come to 3D's attention. The Merchant House (Herengracht 254) is the initiative of Marsha Plotnitsky. The current show features Carolee SchneemannShe is an American multimedia artist working with video, photography and works on paper. She is "a pioneer off body and performance art, feminist art, expanded media and inter media art." Well, that's a lot of techniques to be concerned with. But she has been successful with all of them. She is doing something right and came to attention, in New York, in the 60s when she emerged from the avant garde circle. 

What you will see is a conceptual view of  her world which has a central focus of a pussy cat; her pussy cat. The show's title is Infinity Kisses, and indeed she "sensually portrays the morning kisses [she] received from her cats." And take 3D's word for it,there is a lotta smooching goin' on! As to the style, the photos tend to be slightly out-of-focus and with unusual composition. There are a few videos/film works on view which tend more to the conceptual than to the representational. One drawback with this gallery is that it is only open on Fridays (12-18:00) or by appointment. 
Until __?__ April. www.merchanthouse.nl, contact: info@merchanthouse.nl 
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Linda van Boven is at "witzenhausenGALLERY" (Hazenstraat 60) looking at the dark side of life through the lens of her camera. Literally!  Five works are nearly indiscernible. You see geometric/abstraction but only after you look from one angle and from another are you able to determine you are looking at trees. There are silkscreens all in black, but different shades of black. Two other photos hanging are more accessible visually, but still rather dark. Both are seascapes with a child's swinging on a swing at the edge of the surf. Until __?__  https://bit.ly/2zCqZwM 
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R&R (nee: Reuten & Reuten, at Prinsengracht 510)  has a group show and it seems to have a simple theme: color. Lou Godin hangs 10 oils that are best described as "motion paintings." The colors streak and distort as they gallop across the canvas. (30x40 cms., oil on canvas @ 890 euro)...Henriette van't Hoog paints on zinc and shapes the metal into geometric forms. She paints each surface area a different color including its back (you see the color reflected on the wall). (21x23x14 acrylic paint and zinc @ 1,700 euro)...She also has on display a work that she has done with Michael Wright. They have combined their efforts to create a video installation. The screen is sitting on the floor on a bent plate of zinc. you see the presentation on both the slopping front "screen" and the perpendicular back "leg." A sound track is included....Kevin Finklea makes rectangular wooded objects which hang on the wall. Each exposed surface is a different color. (15.5x14.80 @ 1,650 to 2,100 euro). Until 2nd March. https://www.reutengalerie.com/ 
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"Galerie bart" (Elandsgract 16) features two artists. Rik Buter is a cartoonist. Perhaps it is more accurate to say he is a conceptual cartoonist. At first glance, you think you are looking at a series of small drawings that have been arrayed as a collage. Not so! It is a series of gouache drawings on paper. There are seven framed works; and they are each a page from his graphic novel, Chaos in a ladder. The cartoon figure---the protagonist---is an iconic figure and not easily described. There are also surreal elements against an almost Gothic background. (Various size Giclee prints, Ed 20 @ 50 to 100 euro; 49x79 cms., charcoal on paper @ 790 euro; 49x38 cms., acrylic paint on paper @ 1,375 euro) 3 RED DOTS....The other artist, Rens Krikhaar, shows retro style paintings: Marine genre. 3D hesitates to use the term since it nearly misrepresents what you will see. Yes, you sill see ships in heavy seas and ships battling each other. You will see inspiration from both Willem van de Velde the Younger (1633-1707) and Willem van de Velde the Elder (1611-1693). However, he does it all with a contemporary style of brush strokes that resemble that of an expressionist and with vague imagery. It is the form and composition that will win you over. (18x24 cms., w/c on Fabriano paper @ 550; 50x40 cms., oil on linen @ 1,170 euro; 150x120 cms., oil on canvas @ 3,510 euro). 5 RED DOTS Until 14th March. www.galeriebart.nl 
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On entering Galerie Fons Welters (Bloemstraat 140), in the Playstation section, there is an installation that measures 12+ meters long by Ruta Butkute. The components are: "rubber, steel, stone, textile, weight, mass and texture." You observe the different elements and forms by "strolling" through it. There is a video projection on the wall of a woman dancing in place. There are individual units to the installation and each is offered separately for sale at prices between 800 to 1,400 euro; the complete project is 5,500 euro....Hedwig Houben shows in the large back space of the gallery. She presents several installation-like objects and small objects on simple linear shelves that have been erected to display them. Then there are the components for fabricating shelves leaning against a  wall. The objects are a plaster head, a hand, a Rietveld Zig-Zag Chair, a sneaker. A table coated with plasticine was topped with a few objects like a hand and a sneaker and a big, big blob. It would be the focus of a performance by the artists who explained it as she developed the imagery further. Don't miss the handwoven rug; it's on the floor, of course. No price list. Until 7th March. www.fonswelters.nl
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Three artists are showing at LUMEN TRAVO (Lijnbaansgracht 314). Kathe Burkhart (USA) is back once again with her iconic paintings/water colors. Her style is comic strip naive. Simple, but pithy! And  often there is something endearing in her imagery. Her favorite subject, Liz Taylor, is represented here as a young and thin and with her big violet eyes shining through....Atousa Bandeh tells stories in the comic strip style of presentation. However, instead of a series of little boxes she uses a large format as her story board. One work measures 440x230 cms., and it consist of figuration/representational art meets symbols and parallelism thus creating a conceptual rendering to her story telling. Also she has a subtle way of framing her compositions which isn't readily apparent....Monali Meher (India)  visited an abandoned film studio in Mumbai to  "capture the presence of then and now." In essence it is banal subject matter that is naturally collected into a group composition, warts and all. Until 7thMarch. www.lumentravo.nl 
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...And just a hop and skip down the canal to Number 317 is AKINCI with the work of Zbigniew Rogalski (Poland) who brings something new to geometric/abstraction by revisiting the old. The works on display could be described as studies in blue with bolts of black. The compositions look a little like ice on a pond that is breaking-up or broken glass laying on the ground because of the fragmentation and acute angles. Where he revisits the past is in the fact that his geometric/abstract shapes recall Kandinsky later work; and he also achieves Kandinsky's depth. A series of photographs illustrate his works but the parts are more simple in style and there is a different tension at work. A photograph of 12 photographers, all taking a flash picture, at the same time, is very special. (80x80 cms., photograph, Ed 3 @ 3,700 euro; 67x100 cms., photo, unique @ 4,250 euro; 140x150 cms., poilon canvas @ 17,000 euro) Until 7th March. www.akinci.nl 
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RIZE Gallery (Van Baerlestraat 6) hangs the work of Igor Skaletsky (Israeli/Russia). And his paintings do get your attention for several reasons. In one sense they are provocative in both imagery and sometimes subject matter. And another factor is his style and technique. You see elements of 15th century Flemmish painters, the Italian Rennaissance and Russian' religious icon paintings. Then mix all this with symbols, scenes and objects which relate to the present. In each there is a central figure----generally a woman---in a traditional icon pose. The technique? Well, surprise! The works are all collages and mixed media. He combines digital photomontage with acrylic paint and varnish and adds "trendy supermodels and icons of the tattoo culture. Skalestsky plays the clash of culture and iconography." (124x92 cms., digital photomontage, acrylic, varnish @ 7,500 euro) Until 2nd March. www.rizegallery.com 
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What to make of it? The Amsterdam art market is still depressed. It is a mild winter---so far---therefore there is little excuse for staying at home in front of the fireplace. Bundle up, unlock the bike and gooooooo! Prices are now very attractive for art. It is a good time to buy; and the quality is high. Do it! Do it NOW!!!! Make my day! Buy a work of ART!

Photo: Van Loon in Foam

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