Going back in time: Daniel Gould’s 3D List, Art in Amsterdam #67

The Amsterdam art world is limping into 2013 and economic prediction do not invite any optimism. It will be a hard year for artist and their galleries. Considering the number of gallery shows reviewed here there were very few red dots; that's the salt and pepper of their raison d'etre. It is up to you to rectify the situation. And there is money out there...But good ol' Dutch conservatism means to sew the money purse shut when to economy so much as sneezes. 

INDEX:  

Bits & Pieces

Museum Review: "foam"

Review: Club of Amsterdam: The Future of Space Travel.

What You Have Missed...But, there still may be time...

BITS & PIECES:

3D loves a good mystery. Whether it is pulp fiction or real life. Perhaps someone can help solve one Amsterdam' mystery I have been unable to. Sometime, early in January, I was crossing the Magere Brug, known as "The Skinny Bridge," which crosses the Amstel River and connects the Kerkstraat to both sides. At the middle, where the draw bridge is located, I heard something. Wasn't sure what it was, but it seemed to be amplified. Well, I cross the bridge nearly everyday and everyday I heard something different including someone talking. What's this all about? Obviously it is an artistic installation, but who is responsible? I found no name tag on the bridge and when I Googled, I found nothing. Hmmmm! 
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Good news for the Stedelijk Museum. The Mike Kelley exhibition has, so far, been an enormous success. Since its opening, on 15th December, 2012, until 30th January 2013, 100,000 visitors have paid entrance to the museum. You have until 1st of April to see this provocative show that ranges from painting, photography, sculpture work and pure kitsch. See the 3D List review.
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...Make it a double purpose trip to the Stedelijk which is offering, every Sunday, "FREE Artist Workshops" for children 6-12 years of age. See www.stedelijk.nl for more info.
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Christine van den Bergh and Hester Jenkins have announced that as of December, 2012, they are no longer associated with outLINE. They said, in a joint statement, that is was, "due to unresovable substantitive disagreements..." Van den Bergh had been the head curator of "outLINE" since 2006. She produced exhibitions that were truly avant garde, innnovative, provocative, interesting and specialed in forming site-specific art projects. 
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Memo to: Mark-the-Shark. Subject: Austerity is NOT working. Ireland went bottom up back in 2010. In March, of that year, unemployment was 13.3%. "Since then every uptick in the Irish economy has been hailed as proof that the nation is recovering...But last month the unemployment rate was 14.6%" Hmmm. And the unemployment rate for the Netherlands will soon hit 7%. See "Looking for Mr. Goodpain," by Paul Krugman, (www.iht.com, 2nd Feb. 2013). 
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Hard to believe...But Ma Yan, the Nobel Prize winner for literature, in 2012, said his book Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out, which is 550,000 words long---about 1,600 pages--took him 45 days to write. 
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Well, the 3D List announced, last year, that NIMk had merged with Smart Project Space to form NASA. A few weeks back, I received an announcement from a new organization saying it was taking over the functions of NIMk. I was confused. I emailed for an explanation. 

Gaby Wijers, the director of LIMA, replied "NIMk's presentation and production are now merged with SMP and their new name is NASA. A contemporary Art Space called Preservation and Research founded LIMA, an international platform for distributing and related research into media art." 3D still isn't sure what its relationship to the defunct NIMk is, but it seems that the reply implies that they will house the NIMk archive.
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There was a full page "advertisement" in the 29th of December, 2012, edition of the Int Herald Tribune which said only: Imagine Peace. At the bottom of the page it was signed "love, yoko" [sic] www.imaginepeace.com 
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"The Netherlands tries hard to make a splash," by Michael Kimmelman (www.iht.com, 27th Dec, 2012), is a scathing attack on the Stedelijk's new wing. It opens with, "Offhand I can't recall a more ridiculous looking building." And it gets worse. "The horrific additions to the Van Gogh Museum by Kisho Kurokawa, added a major eyesore and wreaked havoc on that part of the plaza." Hmmm!  This is not the way 3D sees it. Check the "archive history" to see my review.

But, there was one thing that Kimmelman and I agree on and that is that structure that sits between the new wing and the Albert Heijn for the "museum's mechanicals into a hulking back tower...in effect cutting the museum off from the plaza and making the new Stedelijk forecourt with its cantilevered roof look, as Tracy Metz, the architecture critic here [A'dam] put it to me the other day, 'the loading dock for a supermarket.'" Well, in essence, that is what it is, but for the museum. This is the entry "door" for works being delivered or removed. I just wish it had been put somewhere else or had a more accommodating and homogeneous design. 
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The Chinese cultural growth is phenomenal. They are taking all those hard earned US dollars and turning them not only into needed infrastructure projects but in support of all forms of culture. At the Communist Party's 18th Congress, Hu Jintao, the out going party leader, listed cultural gains during his 10 year tenure. Just look at these statistics; they are mind boggling:  In 2011, China produced 558 feature films---more than Hollywood---and this compares with 140 produced in 2003. It now has 9,000 movie screens vs 1,953 in '03; it set up 600,000 rural reading rooms; it has 2,115 museums that DO NOT charge an entrance fee; and last year it published 370,000 book titles. Unbelievable. 
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Alice Rawsthorn, who writes the Monday design column for the Int Herald Tribune discussed the evolution of  kitchen tools culled from Consider the Fork: A History of Invention in the Kitchen, by Bee Wilson. (www.iht.com, 12th Nov., 2012) 
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Don't you just love Mark-the-Shark's austerity program that would "fix the economy?" Unemployment is now up to 7.2% as of Dec 12th with 571,000 people out-of-work and NOT paying taxes....And with a particular occupational group, the building trade, which has produced a 70% increase in jobless benefit claims and, oh, yeah, they are NO longer paying tax either. Tell me how this program is working. Are we to experience the same nose dive that James Cameron has fostered in the UK?  And, the latest report on that austerity program is that the economy is only getting worse. Where is John Maynard Keyes when we need him? 
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...And from the cultural perspective, how bad is this Dutch recession? Christie's is downsizing their Netherlands' operation. It will now conduct but seven auctions/year, down from 20. Two departments will remain: old masters and contemporary. Sotheby's, the other international auction house, stopped ALL auctions, in the country, in 2011. Way to go, Mark. Why don't you go and rut-a-rutte in someone else's garden?
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Non Sequiter, the comic strip, had a drawing showing a boy with his hand in a dike. A man approaches and answers the boy's pleading eyes with, "Help? No...I'm here to negotiate the rights for a reality show." and the caption reads: Modern version of the Little Dutch Boy. Actually, the joke is apropos, for Holland, since reality TV began in this country with Big Brother.
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From my daughter's FACEBOOK page: "Life is all about ass. You are either 'covering it,' 'laughing it off,' 'kicking it,' 'busting it,' 'trying to get it,' or 'behaving like one'...or...'you live with one.' Well, the lady can be cynical at times.  I also read", in a novel, an old joke from the "bathtubs-toilet" series that the book said was popular during the 50s: "What did the bathtub say to the toilet? 'We both get a lot of ass, but I don't get that s***!'" Sorry for the "***", but this is a family newsletter.
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R.I.P. Two deaths of two people who were members of the Amsterdam art scene.
Pasquel Capone, the barber that made his small work space into one of the most unusual art spaces in the city. He was the hair cutter for artists, celebrities and even mayors. Years ago, he asked me where I was from in the states. I ran down the list of five cities I had lived in and at the end of the litany he said, "I had an uncle that lived in Chicago...Al Capone." Oh! Now that was interesting. He was 75.

Fabiola (neé: Peter Alexander van Linden, 1946-2013) always stood out in a crowd with his garish and gaudy dresses and boas, not to mention,  pipe-joints that sometimes formed a "hat." He was a walking and talking work of art; performance art before there was performance art, or almost. It was cancer that did him in.

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MUSEUM REVIEW"foam" (Keizersgracht 609) 

"foam" generally schedules 26 photographic exhibition per year. This meant several openings which are expensive when you start to add up the wine cost bill. The most recent opening was unusual in that there were four separate exhibitions. Most times, there are no more than two. 3D assumes it is meant to cut cost in the time of austerity. Good way to deal with the problem. But I digress.

"WassinkLundgren: One Group Show" is the main event and "is a meeting of two creatively mischievous minds...As their conjoined names suggest." On the left wall of the gallery, there are several large photos of perhaps 90x70 cms., However, there are blank spaces where you expect to see a photo and sometimes you can see that the photo has been torn from the wall. The liner notes on the wall say, "Why make a selection of your work before its been published." There are a total of 15 missing photos in this series featuring the Chinese going about their daily life. Another series is a collection of photos taken at TESCO's using Photo Me instant photo booths. They picture the banal aspects of urban life. In two other galleries, the Chinese theme continues but with a different approach. Also there is a series of photos of unpotted plants. There is a take away. It's a "poster" of about 90x70 cms., and was almost completely blank. The only typography was "Please Take One (2013)"  plus name and date of exhibition.
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Jan Versweyveld is a scenographer, which is defined as one who specializes in photographing stage/theater presentation and back stage activities. He is the in-house photographer for TONEELGROEP AMSTERDAM which is the largest repertory theater in the Netherlands. He captured not only the magic of the theater but also the unglamorous aspects and moments backstage. His use of contrast is outstanding and in both b/w and color. His compositions are meant as much to set a scene as it is to emphasize the individuals. There is a table with short bios of eight actors who are members of the group. Another gallery hangs more conceptual compositions plus two slide presentations.
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Russian Color Photography features work from the late 19th century and well into the 20th. The colors are kitschy with their garish reds and greens and scenes of the Russian country side. The show is also a fascinating view of life during the 1950s and 1960s. Several feature Nikita Khrushchev. Boris Mikhaillov is a welcome surprise with a series of slides that come close to what we in the west describe as "cheesecake" photos of young ladies. He, too, has a series which features garish colors.

Still another gallery hangs work done for Soviet propaganda purposes. Alexander Rodchenko's work is early conceptual photography and one, "Portrait of Regina Lemberg (1935)" looks like something Man Ray was doing at the same time. In still another gallery is a series of portrait photos from the 1860s and 1870s. The series titled, In Memory of My Military Service is interesting. 

In the library, of "foam", is an exhibition for a young photographer, Jan Hoek who has shown at gallery RON MANDOS. He does very unusual conceptual photography and the exhibition, as a result, is hard to describe. His subject matter could not be more eclectic: people, cars, situations and things hard to describe. His uses several styles and techniques which are just as varied. What makes this show truly unique are the captions to each series and the way they are presented. The entire library has been "wallpapered" with paper from floor to ceiling. The photos are attached to the paper and captions written here and there. Things like, "When I asked him to make a face, he became angry; then 'you will tell everybody in Europe that we are monkeys,' he said." It was a portrait of an African man. What I think Hoek's message is: Every Picture Tells a Story. The liner notes are important reading and bring a better understanding to what is going on here. 

Each of the four shows end on different dates. Please click on to www.foam.nl for more info. 

"foam SHOP" is using a location at the Vijzelstraat 78 for special shows and unusual ones. The location is also used to retail publications by the museum as well as their post cards and other memorabilia. 

Presently, a show curated by Martijn Nekoui is on view. And he has done something very different. He selected three iconic images by  four contemporary Dutch photographers, Anton Corbijn, Erwin Olaf and the duo Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin. Then he asked fifteen young and talented Dutch photographers---working as duos---to reinterpret the three iconic photos. The results are interesting. 3D strongly suggest that you pick up the exhibition's fold-over brochure before you look at the show. The first inside fold shows the three photos to be emulated. The inside, list all the photographers with a photograph of their interpretation. Nekoui says, "I love combining fashion with other disciplines, collaborations between the established and new talents. Always aiming for an unexpected and inspirational creation." Hey, that's what he got! Don't miss the show. Check www.foam.nl for more details. Until 17th March. FREEentry.
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REVIEW: Club of Amsterdam: The Future of Space Travel 

For those of you that have never attended a lecture sponsored by The Club of Amsterdam, you have missed something even if you had no interest in the subject matter. The reason for that is, even if you had no prior interest what you would learn often amazed you, thrilled you and/or made you apprehensive. 

What makes the evenings so interesting are the people who do the presentations. The Future of Space Travel featured a Nobel Prize laureate in Physics, Gerhad 't Hooft; Bas Lansdorp, Mars One; and Michel van Pelt who spoke on robotic exploration.

Professor 't Hooft opened the meeting with an overview of space travel; its practicality; and why any real discussion of traveling to the stars is still science fiction. Think of this, a satellite, in earth orbit, circles the earth in 90 minutes; at the speed of light it do the same trip about seven times in one second. To visit the closest star, to our solar system, traveling at the speed of light, 300,000 km/sec, would take 23 years. He talked of other hypothesis for transversing the universe such as "wormholes" and commented on those theories about traveling through a black hole to reach another universe. He had ten minutes to make his presentation and went over that limitation by about 15 minutes and with no complaints from the audience.
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Michel van Pelt talked about continuing to use and develop robotic missions to explore the solar system. He talked of the moons of Saturn and Jupiter and what surprises have already come to our attention. He showed one slide that illustrated the number of missions now in operation by several countries of the world. We have satellites and robotic missions that analysis everything from the atmosphere of, say, Europa, a moon, to looking at it and other orbs with x-ray, spectroscophy and other scientific disciplines to understand more. The more we have learned, the more we become convinced that we will find life in our own solar system. True, it may not be life as we now know it but if it reproduces it will be life. 
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However, it was Bas Lansdorp that upstaged everyone on the panel. In 2011, he began to develop a concept for sending a manned mission to Mars with the intention of building settlements. When I first read about this sometime last year, I thought it pie-in-the-sky talk. The first thing that came to my mind was: How much will this cost? According to Lansdorp it will require $6 billion dollars to get the first two explores to the Mars' surface. I do find that figure to be cheap, but he explained that experts in the various fields required to support the mission submitted the figures and "the entire plan revolves around using existing validated technology." But, still $6 billion dollars, in times of austerity, is a lotta money.

He went on to explain how the money will be raised. He is actively recruiting sponsors and investors. Investors? Where's the money? Well, he had an answer for that. He mentioned that the total revenue generated by the winter and summer Olympic Games (2005 & 2008) was $6 billion dollars over a six weeks period. That money came from TV rights and sponsorship grants. And while I wasn't convinced when I first heard the presentation something caught my attention and a few hours later that fact made me reevaluate the possiblity. He had said that an early supporter was John de Mol, the founder of Endemol, the creator of the Big Brother TV-Reality series which has been franchised around the world. A press release says, "Not unlike the televised events of the Olympic Games, Mars One intends to maintain an on-going, global media event, from astronauts selection to training. From lift-off to landing to provide primary funding for the next giant leap for mankind." I thought is was a Hollywood fantasy when I saw The Truman Show where a small town is built, in a geodestic dome, to record the birth of one resident and follow  him through life. Reality imatating fiction. 

In other words, the main ingredient---raising the funds---in already in place that will make this project---and the dream---reality. The testing of the modules will begin in 2016; the search for a landing location will begin in 2018. The specially designed modules will be lifted-off around 2020; and the first two space travelers will blast off in 2022 and land in 2023. Men/women on Mars in ten years? Stay tuned.

You can become part of the movement by just purchasing a T-shirt, coffee mug, posters, etc. See for more info by Googling "Mars One."

The next program in the series of The Future of... will be the Future of Football. For more info check out: www.clubofamsterdam.com 
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WHAT YOU HAVE MISSED, but there still may be time: 

At Galerie FonsWelters (Bloemstraat 140)  is a solo exhibition for Jan De Cock (Belgium). This is the sixth show for him at the gallery and he "has turned the space into a 'sparse and splintered romantic landscape...'" according to the press release. The title of the show is Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: A Romantic Exhibition." And as the press release accurately attest to, "[She is] remarkably conspicuous by her absence..." What we see is conceptual sculpture pieces/objects which are defined by rectangles, squares and linear aspects. The material is wood, mdf, panel and plywood. All is in the raw though a few boards have a coat of white paint or touches of color like pink, yellow, blue, green and red. De Cock has "created two artist books, a cell of six photographic Cahiers, and a handbook. No price list. Until 9th March. www.fonswelters.nl 
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Charlotte Dumas is showing at Galerie Paul Andriesse (Westerstraat 187) and it features her photography. And there is only one subject: the horse. But before you yawn, ho-hum, 3D should point out that she does look at her subjects from several angles: informally, like laying in their stall, sleeping; being attended to; as well as participants in parades. There is a series of Polaroids which are interesting, but alas none are for sale. (114x152 cms., Ed. 5, pigment ink jet print @ 9,000 euro.)  A catalog of the Polaroids is available @ 25 euro. Until 16th March. http://www.paulandriesse.nl/  
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C&H Art Space (2e Kostverlorenkade 50) hangs the work of Emily Kocken (NL/USA) and she does both  photography and drawings. There is a series of eight b/w portraits of young girls that Kocken says resemble her in some way; either physically or emtionally. However, it is another series of 16 oil pastel, pencil, and chalk drawings that gets your attention. The portraits are also of young ladies but the style ranges from almost surreal to Picasso-like to just plane mysterious. Then there are b/w drawings which look like linear abstractions---which they are---but they are also representational and illustrate tied ribbons, string and rope and from time to time, a flower. Nice. 

There will be a special program for the 13th of February, 18-21:00. It is a "read-in" by Ms Kocken from the original cult film Picnic at Hanging Rock (1974) directed by Peter Weir. (21x30 color pencil, silver pencil, gold pencil @ 600 euro; 30x42 cms., pencil, oil pastel, chalk @ 800 euro; 50x50 cms., b/w, gelatin silver print @ 1,250 euro.)  Until 23rd March. http://ch-gallery.com/ 
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When 3D turned onto the Veemkade and began to follow the quay to Art Affairs (354), I was disappointed. I was expecting to see a stainless steel sculpture standing about five meters high at the front of the gallery. But, alas, it wasn't there. The invite had shown such a work. The exhibition is an introduction for a project by Ewerdt Hilgemann. He has made 17 monumental stainless steel columns that will grace the median strip along Park Avenue in New York City. The pieces will be in place beginning in August and for three months.

I describe his work as "organic sculpture." He has the stainless steel forms constructed to be air tight, however there is a threaded opening at one end. From this opening, the air is pumped out creating a vacuum within. Physics then takes over; the laws of nature. And slowly, the object begins to collapse into itself creating almost an infinite series of geometric abstractions. Hilgemann describes his concept as "systematic constructivism." 

But I digress...Once inside the gallery, my disappointment disapated, because what you will see, in this show, are miniature examples of the big pieces.They are not only true to their Big Brothers but just as monumental. A pure elegance is conveyed by the pieces and will allow them to fit nicely into the Park Avenue environment. You will also see photographs, by the artist, that have been taken of some pieces and in such a way that it is conceptual photography you are looking at. (96x16x16 cms., stainless steel @ 15,000 euro; 110x50 cms., ink jet print on paper @ 1,500 euro)  Until 16th March. https://bit.ly/2LfBlnI 
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Ad Swinkels is at De Witte Voet (Kerkstraat 135) with works fashioned from clay. He creates conceptual objects that more often contest what is form. That is, he is sometimes irreverant in his view of form and goes to its outer limits. Because of this factor, it is nearly impossible to say in a few words as to what to expect except to expect the unexpected...Hey, that ain't bad! One piece features a porous stone that survived the eruption of Mt Etna. He found it in the foothills. (1,000-1,750 euro) Until 16th February. www.galeriedewittevoet.nl 
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"Gallery nine" has relocated into a new space---Keizersgracht 548---and spitting distance from their former one. The new place is on two levels. The last was almost claustrophobic and 15 people made it overcrowded. The opening show is a showcase of their artists. If you know anything about "Gallery nine," from its beginning, in 1989, up until now you know what  to expect. The style of work ranges from conceptual  geometric abstraction both in painting and sculpture techniques, with a wide range of materials. But there are also prints, drawings and objects. 3D often describes the work, on show, as: simple, elegant, monumental and/or streamlined. If you have never been to this gallery, this is an excellent exhibition to attend since there are 31 artists represented. Something for everyone with prices from 350 euro to 2,900. Until 9th February. https://bit.ly/2O2dGJ6 
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A group show of three artists is at TEN HAAF PROJECTS (Laurierstraat 248).  Arjan Hijbeek captures all the virtues of Kandinski's early period (1895-1909) like he was his reincarnation. He does so with his use of color, beautifully manifested, and a naive quality. The works come alive. (350 to 1,350 euro, oil on panel)...Mari Stoel, on the other hand, is an animated Van Gogh in technique. The almost spontaneous rapid brush strokes creates a motion in the trees and flora depicted in the compositions. The color nuances are subtle and very effective. (850 euro to 2,600 euro)...Aldwin van de Ven's work is simple, naive and almost childish-like imagery prevelant in a young child's watercolor work. But he keeps his colors subdued. (1,300 to 4,100 euro)  Until 16th February. www.tenhaafprojects.com 
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Michael Brennand-Wood is back at "galerie RA" (Nes 120)  for his sixth exhibition. One work is titled, "Art of the Stitch."  It would be accurate, too, if it read, "The Art of the Kitsch." Simply put, he creates wonderfully beautiful works of kitsch. He uses fabric, material, patches, plastic figures, medals, shells, pebbles, etc., etc., etc. And some time all of these elements are included in a single work. Some are simple collages and others are montages. Fun work.

There is a retrospective catalog of his work illustrating selected work from as early as 1970 through 2012. A sentence from the catalog reads, "Entering the world of Michael Brennand-Wood is like emerging into a whirlpool of colours, texture, shape and form." Paging through the book you can see a stead and consistant evolution from his beginnings, 40 years ago, to where he is now at; you also become aware that he has remained true to his original concepts regarding art. (There are prices attractive to anyone's pocket book: 220 euro, 240 euro, 380 euro, 1,500 euro and 2,500 euro)  Until 27th March. www.galerie-ra.nl 
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Hans Deuss paints detailed landscapes, city scapes, interiors and other things. The work is meticulous and exacting. Some are very colorful and others more subdued. He inserts artist's jokes, too. And there is much fantasy. In fact, the "cities" series feature city scapes that resemble sets from the 1920s Sci-Fi classic, Metrpolis. He has had several previous exhibitions at Galerie Mokum (OZ Voorburgwal 334). (Drawings @ 750 euro; oils @ 1,300 to 17,500 euro.)  THREE RED DOTS. Until 3rd March. www.galeriemokum.com 
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There is a group show at BMB (Kerkstraat 127) with three artists. Muyan Linden has an unusual technique. He saws objects into thin slices and reassembles them. Some are small and some are very large like a canoe (the large ones are not in this show). The deck-of-playing cards is an exceptional geometric abstraction. (250 to 1,200 euro.)...Renier Vaessen is an expressionist painter who includes figurative/representational elements into his compositions. Two works stand-out, "My African History,"  which is a dip-tych (200x400 cms) and is both simple and complicated in its compositon. A huge drawing (200x155 cms.)  is that of a hand grabbing for a pineapple but the composition is as much conceptual as representational. (15x15 cms., acrylic, paper on linen @ 200 euro; 200x155 cms., drawing, graphite on paper @ 2,600 euro; 200x400 cms., acrylic on linen @ 15,500 euro)...Hannah Schneider has a series of conceptual photos which are film-stills. They are mysterious in that they hint at a story. She also has two films on display. Unfortunately, because of the crowd standing in front of the projector, I could not see either. (20x30 cms., film stills on Dibond, series of 4 @ 700 euro; one @ 190 euro; film, 9:19 minutes, Ed 10 @ 800 euro.)  https://bit.ly/2Cy3Ahy 
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Well, when you walk into the exhibition at Gerhard Hofland (Bilderdijkstraat 165) you may think the show is still in the process of being unpacked. "Canvases" that appear to be wrapped in cardboard boxes are  stacked and leaning against the walls. It is said that drawing is an illusion. Jochen Mühlenbrink makes a good case that painting is also an illusion. His subject matter could not be more banal: cardboard boxes with their address stickers, tape binding, etc. You look at the work and you are convinced that it is a collage/montage of used boxes. Get your nose right up to the surface and you are sure of it. Wrong! Every work in this show is a painting---100%---and each defies reality in that it becomes real unto itself. Huh? You gotta see it! Remarkable imagery; fantastic technique. (30x30 cms., acrylic, canvas @ 1,500 euro; 60x50 cms., oil on canvas @ 2,750; 300x350 cms., oil and acrylic on canvas @ 21,000 euro)  SIX RED DOTS at opening. Until 2nd March. http://gerhardhofland.com/en/ 
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WALLS (Prinsengracht 737) is doing things differently! That is, from time-to-time they divert from their business plan for something special. The current exhibition is an example of that. It hangs seven photographers. It is an excellent overview of contemporary photography. The emphasis tends to be on the female, but because it is from several perspectives it doesn't appear to be the focal point. There is work that 3D would describe as the grotesque as examplified by Nadia Lee Cohen and there is Sander Dekker with his ladies, plus a Dalmation....Bernhard Boomkens is not only a brilliant colorist but lots of fun...And there is b/w work by Barbara Mahalia which is poignant. Almost as an after-thought there are fashion pieces by Dennis Diem. Each work has a retro feel realating to the elegant designs of the 1930s. (All priced between 600 to 2,000 euro)  Until 6th March. https://bit.ly/2LRAexM 
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Thomas Koolhaas is at Galerie R. Katwijk (Leidsedwarsstraat 198) with an exhibition titled "Digital collage." But it is more than that. A few days ago, 3D was looking at a restrospective of Russian color photographs (see "foam" review, above). The garish and kitschy colors were rather invigorating as opposed to all the C-prints we see today. Koolhaas emulates the color distortions and adds a bit of the style of Richard Hamilton to the mix. The results are both visually attractive and fun. (55x73 cms., Ed. 5, digital print @ 1,300 euro; 100x92 cms., Ed 5 @ 1,950 euro; 160x175 cms., Ed 6 @ 3,800 euro)  Until 10th Feburary www.galerierogerkatwijk.nl 
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"LIFE: the gallery" (Lauriergracht 96) shows Edo Kaay who paints portraits in a pure expressionistic style. Perhaps if you personally know the subject you will recognize her...Oh, yeah, he only paints women. What's so good about his work is that both styles get your attention. Looking at the lady is almost like looking at her through a white linen curtain: vague, mysterious and alluring. Then there is the expressionism where the colors are sometimes close to monochromatic but with enough nuances to make it colorful. (105x130 cms., oil/acrylic on canvas @ 4,000; 120x200 cms., oil/acrylic on canvas @ 5,500 euro) www.lifeamsterdam.nl 
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Julian Dashper (N. Zealand, 1962-2012)  has his sixth and probably last show at PS (Madurastraat 72. He died last year of a melanoma. He was a minimal conceptualist. His work could not be more simple or elementary. Color or contrast were his hallmarks but form is the perimeter that holds everything together. A nice added feature to this show is a chair designed by Donald Judd. Dashper spent time in Marfa, Texas at Judd's artists' community. The chair, complements his work. Five works are on display, four of which come from private collections. Offered for sale is "Untitled, 2007," (Ed 3. Acrylic on canvas @ 15,000 euro). There is also a catalog available for the show with a contribution by Rudy Fuchs, @14 euro. Until 24th March. www.psprojectspace.nl 
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Morren Galleries (Prinsengracht 572)  presents Gertjan Scholte-Albers who is a representational painter that specializes in landscapes of woods. And over the years, he has improved on his style and has added nuances to his technique. The colors really capture your attention and, more importantly, hold it! He goes from green foliage, of the summer months, to the warm hues of autumn. But in this exhibit---the third 3D has seen from the artist---there are a couple which are pure kitsch and beautifully so. The color arrangements are very pleasing. And one other work could be called a "Study in Blue," featuring blue trees. Hey, it works. (2,900 to 3,600 euro)  Until _____ https://www.morrengalleries.nl/
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 Aliens have invaded the RON MANDOS gallery (Prinsengrcht 286). Kid you not! They look like representatives from a far away galaxy. They converse in their own lingual, dance to their own tune---an unearthly sound---and perform. Well, that's enough. 3D doesn't want you to miss the whole experience. The "importer" of this army of ETs is Christiaan Zwanikken. (25x24x125 cms., falcon skeleton+ , Ed. 7 @ 2,200 euro; 200x210x50 cms., mix-media @ 22,000 euro) ...Also, Peter Feiler shows outstanding drawing/washes. Each work tells so many stories in these hand-illustrated montages that you think Jan Bruegel the Elder had returned to earth (maybe he got a ride with the aliens). And while Feiler's style is contemporary, often some of the imagery is drawn with classical methodology. The imagery is often grotesque, out-of-context and somewhat bewildering. But you won't be able to take your eyes off anyone of of them. (Ceramic plates @ 800 euro; 53x50 cms., @ 3,000 euro; 243x149 cms, acrylic on aper @ 14,000 euro). Until 16th February. www.ronmandos.nl  
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Gallery Gabriel Rolt (Elandsgracht 32) is having their second solo show for Douglas White (UK). The artist and his works form an ironic contrast. All his ceramic work is in black and his name is D. White. I like it! The ceramic work is free form and ranges from what you might expect  to find on a volcanic island; and one that looks like an elephants trunk. But it is the back gallery which will stop you in your tracks. It is an installation that literally encompasses the entire room and all the way to the tip of the A-frame ceiling. It is made from wet clay and is held up with chains and rope; it took six days to create on-site. When it is disassembled, it will collapse naturally into dirt. Truly an unique object. (6,000 euro to 30,000 euro)  Until 23rd February. https://bit.ly/2mjOOQt 
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If you move from house-to-house a lot, skip this show at Galerie D. StigterYael Davids makes objects that consist of large sheets of glass. There are six pieces and each measures 120x240 cms. Call this exhibition conceptual see-through minimalism. A couple are all black and reflect some of the work of Richard Serra. On the walls, there are notations that may explain things. (Until 23rd February. www.dianastigter.nl  
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"The Girls Rule The World." So, what else is new? "Tinkebell & Friends" is back with her iconic images of reality. She expresses it with collages, tapestries, paintings, needlework and video. She has much humor and a big touch of the ironic. There  is a taxidermist' heron hanging from the ceiling and taking everything in. An object that consist of a table, chair---60s' style---with a tall cocktail glass and a white dead parakeet stuck in it. Stirred, not shaken, please. There are small canvases of mixed-media collages with embroidery too. (700 to 1,400 euro). (Other works @ 22x17 cms., @ 1,000 euro; 120x160 cms., acrylic/oil on canvas @ 2,750 euro to 3,000)  Until 16th February. www.torchgallery.com 
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Take a journey into the nostalgic world of the 60s and 70s. See "stars" like Ali, Redford, the Velvet Underground with Nico, Simon and Garfunkle, a young Jodie Foster (from Taxi Driver), Sinatra and two portrait masterpiece: One of Diana Ross and a the other a profile of Barbra Streisand which emulates the Egyptian sculpted piece of Nefertiti. Welcome to the b/w world of Steve Schapiro (USofA) who is hanging at Galerie W. van Leeuwen. The exhibition is also the occasion for a book presentation of a collection of his work from the 60s to the present. He pointed out to me a recently discovered photo of Ali, It was taken in 1963 and Ali---then, still Cassius Clay---is surrounded by young children, Schapiro pointed to one little girl, of six, and said, "It was she who contacted me a year or so ago asking about this photo. I had completely forgotten it. Her interest was not only that she is the one with her adoring eyes welded to Ali but that many years later she would become his wife, Lonnie." (40x60 cms., Ed. 25 @ 2,200 euro)  Book:"Then and Now, 175 photos, 2012, @ 50 euro)  Until 16th February. www.woutervanleeuwen.com 
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"witzenhausen GALLERY" (Hazenstraat 60)  is showing the color photography of Herman van den Boom. The imagery ranges from landscapes to architectural. If he has a theme, its "green." And he captures the color in all its hues and shades. No price list. Until 16th February. https://bit.ly/2zCqZwM 
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Linda Troeller (USofA) is at VERVERS (Hazenstraat 54) with "Self-Portrait." She hangs 30+ examples which takes us through her life's journey from young lady, at 20, to today. Each photo is completely different from the others in both composition, imagery and mood, especially mood. While some are posed other are serendipitous. The 30 pieces are hung as a montage. An interesting side note is that she lives at the legendary Chelse Hotel in New York. (300, 450, 850 euro)...Catherina Bossert shares the space with her with three dimensional heads that are about 50 cms high and shaped from clay. But the finishing touches are what make the work stand-out. Heads are wrapped in different fabrics including medical gauze. One head supports about 20 empty egg cartons (800 euro)...Frans Hofmeester does video work and has created a time-lapse series of children from an early age to early teens. One young girl is featured with imagery from when she was a baby up until the age of 13. Interesting work. We follow her through the unattractive stages of physical development to her budding as an attractive young lady. Until ____. www.verversgallery.nl 
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SLEWE (Kerkstraat 105)  hangs a group exhibition featuring artists they represent. There are a total of six artsts showing. It's  a good show where one artist up-stages the last one as you meander through the space. The common factor is the abstraction element, but it is manifested in many forms and concepts. Frank van den Broeck is the only odd-man out with his conceptual drawings that create a whole new idea of what form is all about. (1,750 euro to 29,500 euro)  Until 16th February. www.slewe.nl  
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Peter Petkov Lazarov (Bulgaria) has brought his impressive print work to Diversity & Art (Sint Nicolaasstraat 21). There is an uniqueness both in the style and presentation. The artist does the print as a scrolls which faithfully emulates both the Chinese and Japanese. In fact, a few have dragonflies in the imagery. As to the other subject matter it might be accurate to describe it as conceptual figurative. His b/w work is strong and there are several conceptual elements as well. He uses color minimally, but effectively. Many works are an homage to the likes of Goltzius, Icarus, Dionysus and the Oriental theme. (120 euro, Ed. 20 to 975 euro, unique piece). Until 9th February. https://bit.ly/2wZppAk
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At "GALERIE bart" (Bloemgracht 2)  is showing the "portrait" work of Barbara Wijnveld. "Portrait" is emphasized because, well, this is something for people who think that portrait painting is out-of-date and boring. Think again. She starts with a representational rendering then turns it all into a linear geometric abstraction. The results is busy, busy and more busy. But what stands-out are the colors; and some are very colorful while one is nearly monochromomatic. A seven minute video is also on view. (30x21 cms., ink, ground diamond-like particle on paper @ 675 euro; 202x200 cms., plastic, plaster @ 3,750 euro; Dip-tych, 120x240 cms., acrylic on liner @ 6,480 euro)  Until 23rd February. www.galeriebart.nl 
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A new gallery, Hooffzaak-Kunst---artist owned and operated---is located at Haarmerdijk 54. For its second show, it hung the work of Reinder van der Woude who is a painter, print maker and musician. His style is figurative representational. He likes Max  Beekman and the German Expressionist, but his mood is not at all dark. In fact, his strokes and colors have a lot in-common with Ravel. The colors are bright and lively and the work comes across and gives you a happy feeling. (Prints @ 60-110 euro; acrylic on linen @ 700-4,700 euro). Until...Oops, closed last week. Sorry. https://bit.ly/2MYKXrK  
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Theo Eissens is at Steendrukkerij Amsterdam (Lauriergracht 80). The good artist is one who has an unique style and technique. Eissen meets these two criteria exceptionally well. He paints basically primary colors, on wood, in Mondrian-like patterns. He then silkscreens imagery over the painted panel. It produces an effect that is both visually and technically striking. The imagery, while representational, comes across as a linear abstraction because we see bridge' tressels or building interiors that focus on stairwells and/or the angles of room spaces. A series of colored etchings are all conceptual abstractions. They are from a series of 20 etchings in an edition of 10 and @ 325 euro. (acrylic/silkscreen on panel/canvas @ 1,500-7,500 euro). Until 23rd February. https://bit.ly/2NkuUAi 
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Hoeth & Hoeth are showing at Art A Casa (Kerkstraat 411). Wypkeline Wichers Hoeth paints and the subject matter varies from a skyscraper to room interiors to houses to a stack of colorful towels against a non-descript toilet wall. (450, 850 and 1,100 euro)...Barbara Jet Wichers Hoeth does etchings of birds and chickens; and while the subject matter may be banal, the resulting imagery is not!  (195 euro). Until 12th Februar. www.artacasa.nl 
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An-Sofie Kesteleyn is a Flemish photographer who has been following red-haired twins since 2007. The Vlaams Cultuurhius de Brake Grond hangs a large selection of her work including videos. At the opening, we were met at the entrance by the LA Raven Twins. We were asked, "Which one of us do you choose?" Huh? Well, how to do this diplomatically...I reverted to my childhood days and said, "Meenie, minee, moe..." The one selected stamped my hand with a club-like stamp and I was in the door. Kesteleyn's twins were ten years old when she began the series. We see then at home, at play, with their pets---a lamb stands out---dressed for a school play and through the seasons of summer, fall, winter and spring. The exhibition is both intimate and poignant. Until 3rd March. www.brakkegrond.nl 
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Eduard Planting Gallery is offering the work of Sabrina van den Heuvel who does b/w photography which is heavy on contrast which more often than not lends drama to the imagery. As to the latter, basically women in various stages of dress and undress or sometimes posed with a man. The scenes, posing and compositions, are unusual and sometimes even troubling. There is a series featuring Pete Doherty, the rock musician, often in the news because of his use of hard rugs. She has captured the drugged fog he lives in. The photos range from slightly out-of-focus to the unglamorous. He makes a perfect poster boy for an anti-drug campaign. (There are three classes of price. Each photo is available in one of three sizes. And each sizes has its own edition. The range is 650 to 1,350 euro). Until 2nd March. https://www.eduardplanting.com/ 
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At LWW Galerie (1e Bloemdwarsstraat 5)  hangs the work of Vera Bruggeman who is an abstract expressionist. There is much color, but controlled. You will see elements of the COBRA School. The compositions range from total expressionism to works that appear to have a figurative aspect much like the COBRAs did so well. Until 9th March. More info at: https://bit.ly/2wYIpQl      www.galerielww.nl 
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There is another new gallery in the city, Ornis A. Gallery (Hazenstraat 11). The first show is an exhibition for Jan Knap. His style emulates the artists who decorated Catholic Churches over the last centuries. The technique is simple  but the color nuances are very good. Many works  reflect a religious theme with  angles, donkeys and Mary and Joseph with the Christ child. There is also a touch of naivitee in the work. (43x60 cms., ink on paper @ 4,000 euro; 75x90 cms., oil on canvas @ 19,800 euro; 220x170 cms., oil on canvas @ 47,000 euro)  Until 23rd February. https://ornisagallery.com/ 
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Under the rubric Bits & Pieces, I mentioned a change in the administration for the art space "outLINE" (Oetewalerstraat 73). The first show under the gallery's new leadership is for Paul Glazier  who shows his paintings, photographs and videos. His paintings feature young children and the work is figurative representational with a touch of conceptual nuances. His photography is focused on composition more than subject matter like the design of a room and its angles become the focal point. A large work is from a photograph however the original print has been enlarged and divided into 64 A4 sheets of paper. (Photos, 850 euro; paintings 2,700 to 3,200 euro)  Until 3rd March. https://bit.ly/2CzJenW  See his website for times and phone number to call for an appointment. 
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And there you have it...A fun filled romp into the wonderous world of Amsterdam art. Join the crowds or help to create one. Visit a gallery near you...For that matter far from you is okay, too! Do it today! You will thank 3D because prices are cheaper than ever...but don't quote me.

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