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David Salle (1952)

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David Salle…..still one of te great names in Modern Art and still very famous in the US, but his works tend to be forgotten a little bit in Europe after he had had many important shows here in the eighties and nineties. Painter, graphic artist, cinema director and photographer Salle is a multi disciplined artist who was one of the first living artist who reached star status in the art world after his works were soled for over a million dollar at auction. Personally i do not think any painting is worth so much money, because i  think art is to be consumed and admired and not bought or sold as an investment. An artist who’s works are bought after he/she died is an exception. The works have proven themselves and it is important for museum to show the works of an artist in relation to other works of art, but….for living artists like Salle, Hirst and Koons ART has become a way of making money ( and a lot if it). The idea behind the work is less important than the interest t should create with buyers and investors. So my advice …buy what you personally think is worth to look at, admire and collect it and if it is more expensive … pay a little more for it because you will enjoy the work every day you look at it.

Books on Salle are available at www.ftn-books.com

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Jan van der Vaart and the Wim Crouwel catalogue ( and of course Eva Besnyo).

 

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The picture by Eva Besnyo above, i encountered in a Museum Bulletin from 1999 in which Marjan Boot wrote an article on Potst and sculptures. Van der Vaart is a highly original ceramic artist who’s quality is the shapes he created his ceramics in. Forms and shapes which were never before used as a ceramic form, but van der Vaart invented them and made them into real ceramic objects.

The pictures tell a far better story than i can, but there are some remarks to be be made about this blog and the life and exhibitions by van der Vaart. First there is this great photograph of van der Vaart working which was made by Eva Besnyo and secondly one of the most beautiful catalogues Wim Crouwel ever designed was the van der Vaart catalogue from 1975.

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There are of course some other books available at www.ftn-books.com

, but this catalogue is very very impressive and in perfect condition.

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Fernand Leger (1881-1955)

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I am still in doubt for myself if i must consider Leger as one of the great artists from last century…or does he uses a ‘Trick” to compose and impress with his paintings. If one sees an extremely large sized work …it is almost in every case impressive, but as soon as it is a smaller one, the attraction is gone. I will show this with to examples. The first painting is roughly 3 x 4 meters and in the collection of the Fondation Maeght. The send is Trois Camarades in the collection of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. The first has typical figures by Leger with an abstract pattern painred over them….. a beautiful and impressive Leger. The second one, is for me far less appealing and a “flat” painting.

Make up your mind yourself on Leger , but know that there are some excellent publications available at www.ftn-books.com including a famous Sandberg designed catalogue

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Raquel Maulwurf ….continued (1975)

I now followed her career for over 10 years and was lucky to acquire some nice small works for our collection. She still amazes with her works in black and white turning horrid events into beautiful , almost abstract works of art.  The large special project the CARBON WAR ROOM “retrospective” at the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag ended last weekend. Online you still have a possibility to get an impression.

https://www.gemeentemuseum.nl/nl/tentoonstellingen/raquel-maulwurf-carbon-war-room

Raquel Maulwurf (Madrid, 1975) developed the installation ‘The Carbon War Room’ especially for the Gemeentemuseum. It arose from the desire to physically create the depth that is evoked in her charcoal drawings in three-dimensions. By working with a very large format and creating wall drawings that cover several walls, she previously captured the feeling of ‘walking into a drawing’. This third dimension was also added literally from the moment she began scratching the museum board she uses for her drawings with a box cutter. The installation in the museum’s Projects Gallery enables Maulwurf to take the final step.

The Carbon War room was a project specially done for the Gemeentemuseum, but can be placed everywhere in the world and consists of the objects and subjects which are very typical for her work.This is an artist who impresses and shows us a world of “beauty” and ” horror” at the same time.

Some titles on Raquel Maulwurf are available at www.ftn-books.com

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Joost Swarte …En Toen de Stijl

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“En toen de stijl” is the new publication by Joost Swarte . Book is published in cooperation between the publisher LEOPOLD and the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag. Personally i think this is the best publication by Swarte from the last 10 years. It brings the story of de STIJL mouvement in illustrations of the famous members of the DE STIJL group. Illustrations on Mondrian, van Doesburg, Huszar,  Zwart, Oud, Torres Garcia, Verzuu, Bauhaus, van der Leck and Rietveld tell the story on de STIJL. Perfect publication and published with isbn.9789025872380

and the invitation to the launch of the book is available at www.ftn-books.comand when you look closely at the illustration on Ko Verzuu, you see the manufacture of the ADO/ BESTELDIENST which is also available at www.ftn-books.com

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