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Diego Rivera (1886-1957)

Diego Rivera, a striking presence in the realm of 20th-century art, was an active painter for fifty years from 1907 to 1957. Of Mexican origin, Rivera spent a substantial portion of his adult life not only in Europe and the United States, but in his hometown of Mexico City as well. Initially experimenting with Cubism before fully embracing Post-Impressionism, his distinct style and outlook are unmistakably his own. An ardent Marxist, he was deeply involved in politics and joined the Mexican Communist Party in 1922. In the 1930s, he opened his home in Mexico City to Russian exile Leon Trotsky and his wife. Living in tumultuous times and leading a tempestuous existence, Diego Rivera, renowned for his Marxist beliefs, remains a countercultural icon of the 20th century. Along with Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara and a select group of contemporaries, he has forged a lasting legacy in the world of art, continuously sparking the imagination and intellect.

www.ftn-books.com has several boos on Rivera and his wife Frida Kahlo now available.

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Frank van der Salm (1964)

biography & cv

Frank van der Salm (1964)
Delft, The Netherlands

After studying Photography and Audio/Visual Design at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, The Netherlands (1992), his main focus has been the Urban Landscape in it’s broadest sense. Over the years early influences of the New Topographics have evolved into a diverse oeuvre about the control of landscape, lack of space, infrastructural issues and the pressure on time and space in contemporary metropolises, reflecting our ways of communication and it’s speed.

Now that the world has developed from separate cities with local activities to one world of (re)-presentation, that is photography, video, film, internet, games, news and entertainment, reality exists in the images that represent it. Focussing on the specific vs. the ordinary and the original vs. the copy, his work elaborates on this medium’s dualistic position. Lately, attention has shifted to the new centers of economic power, resulting in projects next to but including the United States and Asia over the last couple of years. He’s also working with architects like OMA/Rem Koolhaas, Herzog & de Meuron and MVRDV and on infrastructural and cultural projects like the Atelier HSL. Working with professionals in other media has influenced increasing diversity in approaching the contemporary environment. Thus, ‘The City’ is created with an ‘imaginery status’ of reality, where ‘real’ images are remporary. This ‘real’ is part of Sim-City: a micro-cosmos of urban existence. The city and it’s images are real and unreal at the same time. 

His photoworks and videos are published widely and have been exhibitied in galleries and museums around the world, among which the Biennale of Venice, Italy (2001), Haunch of Venison, Zürich, CH (2005), Akinci Gallery, Amsterdam, NL (2009), and the Stedelijk Museum, Schiedam, NL. These works of art are collected around the world. 

www.ftn-books.com has currently the MULTIPLICITY publication by van der Salm available.

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Gerco de Ruiter (1961)

Gerco de Ruijter is a Rotterdam-based visual artist who delves into photography and film. In the late 1980s, he began utilizing unconventional tools such as kites, balloons, and fishing poles to capture images from a unique vantage point. In recent years, he has turned to Google Earth as a source, producing films like CROPS (2012) and Playground (2014). De Ruijter’s art pushes the boundaries of minimalism in presenting the landscape, yet managing to maintain its recognizability.

De Ruijter honed his craft at the Academy for Visual Arts in Rotterdam, graduating with distinction in 1993. His prolific career includes numerous solo and group exhibitions in the Netherlands and abroad, showcased in prestigious institutions such as the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam, The Hirshhorn Museum in Washington DC, and The Harnett Museum of Art in Richmond. His work holds a permanent place in several important private and public collections.

www.ftn-books.com has several de Ruiter titles now avaiable

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Paul van Osch

Tried to find info on this artist of whom i currently have a book available at www.ftn-books.com

This is all i found:

Teaching since 1994 with current responsibilities including:

Visual Arts Teacher “Discovery Factory”, groups 3 to 8, at H19, Oosterhout. and “Experiment Garden”, “Discover Your Talent”, at “New Veste”, Breda.
Artist in the classroom, various schools including autistic children and asylum-seeking children.
Combined Art Coordinator, St. Antoniusschool and Heydonk, Best. Groups 3 to 8.
Art Companions “Culture Canteen”, one-to-one project with a child from youth care.
Workshop Leader “The Joyfulness” and “JUZT”, A.Z.C. Gilze. (asylum-seeking children 6-12 years old).

and this is the book: edition of 500 copies / 2 available

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Geert Koevoets (1957)

Geert Koevoets resides and works in Tilburg, Netherlands. His oeuvre is showcased both nationally and internationally, with exhibitions held in Belgium, Germany, and France. Drawing inspiration from the catastrophic events of the First World War that transpired over a century ago, Koevoets’ work reflects the timeless nature of war. Yet, it is the unique landscape of this War that intrigues him the most; a narrow, elongated strip of land traversing through Europe. The opposing forces were often just meters away from each other, entrenched in the ground amid trenches, braving all weather conditions and constantly under threat of attack. This oppressive reality, with no hope of a resolution, epitomized the conflict. Koevoets finds inspiration for his narrative in the landscapes, field hospitals, cemeteries, and monuments of this War. A defining feature of this conflict was the vulnerable position of the soldiers, separated by a line of iron “pickets” (known as “varkensstaarten” or “pig’s tails”) and barbed wire. In his work, Koevoets translates this concept into NEON (red) and ARGON (blue) lights, symbolizing fragility, and utilizing light as a visual element in his sculptures. His titles often allude to the battlefields and stories that transpired there.

www.ftn-books.com has the small LIGHTENERGY publication now available.

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Brian Alfred (1974)

Brian Alfred is a multi-talented individual, noted for his prowess as an artist, podcaster, educator, and curator. Based in the vibrant city of Brooklyn, he has been showcasing his creations on an international scale for over two decades. Throughout his career, he has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Letters Purchase Award, the esteemed NYFA Inspiration Award, and the highly coveted Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant. Having completed programs at top institutions such as Yale, Skowhegan, and Penn State, his work has been acquired by prominent collections, including the renowned Guggenheim Museum and the esteemed Whitney Museum.

As the host of SOUND & VISION, Brian Alfred adds yet another feather to his cap, with the podcast being hailed as one of the most prominent and respected in the realm of visual arts. With his wide range of talents and accomplishments, Brian Alfred continues to make a significant impact in the art world, both through his own creations and by inspiring others through his podcast.

www.ftn-books.com has the Haunch of Venison book on Alfred now available.

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Yves Velter (1967)

Yves Velter (born 1967 in Ostend, residing and working in Ostend) is a painter and creator of spatial objects. His pieces are interwoven by a thematic red thread. Existential questions and the psychological issues intertwined form the core content of his artistic production. The hushed characters in his work are based on real individuals who have been anonymized through partial abstraction in a timeless setting. They are placed in situations where they break through the reality and leave the impossibility of answering behind.

www.ftn-books.com has several Velter related publications now available.

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Anne van As (1959)

Anne van As, born in 1959 in The Hague, currently resides and operates in Amsterdam. Having completed her studies at the prestigious Minerva Academy in Groningen, her artistic repertoire encompasses both painting and drawing.

Her academic achievements include graduating with distinction from the renowned ABK Minerva art academy in Groningen and the Breitner Academy at Amsterdam University of Arts.

Van As finds nature to be an endless source of fascination, with its sprawling plains, towering mountains, vibrant flora and diverse fauna. In her creations, the human element becomes obscured, veiling the world in a hauntingly beautiful haze. This desolation and ethereal quality serves as a testament to the inevitability of time and the impossibility of reliving the past. It is through this nostalgic lens that her pieces take on an eerie yet melancholic tone.

www.ftn-books.com has currently the wilderness title available.

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Willeke van Tijn (1946)

Artist Willeke van Thin (1946) trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague. Her talent was recognized by the European Painting Prize in Ostend and the Victorine Hefting Prize in The Hague. Willeke uses her imaginative realism to bring her canvases to life with great expressiveness and theatricality. The energy of her work is expressed in both oil and pastel. Over the years, her Willeke’s art has been included in collections such as the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the French Museum in Haarlem, and the Museum of Modern Art in Arnhem. Her work has been exhibited many times nationally and internationally, and she has completed large-scale commissions, including paintings of wedding halls in Belgium and a giant canvas of a French music band. Lately, Van Ting has been drawing a lot of attention to her three-dimensional works made of cardboard.

www.ftn-books.com has now the galerie Quintessens catalog from 2000 available.

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Iris Le Rütte (1960)

Iris Le Rutte (1960) attended the Rijksmuseum Van Beerdende Museum. She is known for her sculptures in public spaces, such as the controversial sculpture group Fata Morgana on Amsterdam’s Wibaustrasse, and for cultural awards such as the IJ Prize (PwC and the City of Amsterdam) and the Gu00f6ldling Prize ( (from NRC Handelsblad). ). She was nominated for the Elisabeth van Thuringen Prize for her series of 78 images on the roof of her OLVG hospital in Amsterdam. She is currently working on a sculpture honoring multiple Olympic ice skating champion Irene Wust. She has exhibited in various museums, including Singer Lahren (solo, 2003), Belden aan See in Scheveningen (solo, 2007 and 2015-2016), and the Kranenburg Museum in Bergen (New Hampshire – 2020). An exhibition is being held at. Her work is included in various corporate collections, including the Akzo Nobel Art Foundation in Amsterdam, VSBfonds in Utrecht, Ahold in Zaandam, and MeesPierson in London. Le Rutte’s work is poetic and complex, and is one of the “new figurations” in Dutch sculpture, as Jan Thiewisse, director of the Museum Beerden aan Zee, has written about her work. The Museum Beerden aan See acquired his statue “Daphne” and placed it in a prominent and permanent place on the terrace.
Her work combines people and nature, and is inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Her work is often ambiguous and is characterized by a search for balance. The words of love seem to apply: “accept your fate,” and above all, “don’t be stubborn.” Only then will you find some kind of happiness.
Iris Le Rutte is also a poet. Her debut collection of poetry and painting, I close you to me, was published in 2015. The 6th edition has just arrived. Her paintings have appeared in newspapers, magazines, and books, including NRC Handelsblad and “The Most Beautiful Poems” by Leo Vroman.

www.ftn-books.com has the Erven J. Bijleveld publication on Iris Le Rütte now available.