FTN-blog

Sorry no portrait photo this time!

He was trained as a ceramic painter, but Frans van Katwijk (1893-1952), resident of Gouda, developed into an artistic director at the Plateelbakkerij Schoonhoven. In 1927-1928, he made his breakthrough with the development of art glazes. Presumably, first on hand-turned terracotta, mainly with a matte green glaze, later he excelled with a sparkling color palette that was extremely exuberant for the time of the crisis. Further research reveals that in the first half of 1928, Van Katwijk was a visiting student at the Institute for Applied Arts in Amsterdam, studying ceramics under Bert Nienhuis. In the early 1930s, it appears that he was influenced in terms of design by Fons Decker, a designer at Plateelbakkerij Zuid-Holland.

www.ftn-books.com has some lieterature available on van Katwijk and the plateelbakkerij Schoonhoven and van Katwijk

The fascination in his early works leads to exuberant and colorful paintings and collages, adorned with decorative elements and gold paint. As time went on, the images became calmer, with larger forms and mysterious objects that would shine in the darkness. Bert Vredegoor recalls, “I noticed that my large paintings were getting darker because I wanted to evoke the suggestion of subtle sources of light. And because you start with a white canvas, that requires a lot of paint, time, and effort. I wanted to reverse this process: what if I start in the dark and let the light emerge? In my search to achieve this idea, I experimented with bleach on various materials. These experiments ultimately led me to velvet, as nothing is as deep black as black velvet. With a drop of chlorine solution, a beautiful golden light would appear in the black velvet. Technique and content suddenly came together because this chemical process, which literally created light in the darkness, perfectly reflected my theme: the search for enlightenment in a finite existence.”

www.ftn-books.com has some Vredegoor titles available.

Bas Zoontjens stands as a prime example of an artist who deftly wields his craft to produce breathtaking canvases without an over-reliance on technology. In an intriguing juxtaposition, the simplicity of his artistic methods is complemented by the profound images and concepts that permeate his work. One glance at his masterpieces is enough to transport the viewer on a voyage through the expanses of time, space, and a dimension yet to be discovered by mankind. A Dutch artist, Bas divides his time between The Hague and Berlin. Armed with degrees from the Royal Academy of Art & Design and the Grafic Lyceum Eindhoven, he has been the recipient of numerous grants and stipends from prestigious institutions in the Netherlands.

In a contemplative mood, one may discern a depiction of an extraterrestrial invasion or an intergalactic battle unfolding in his paintings. The pieces seem to interconnect, bringing a sense of synthesis to a state of fragmentation. Bright, vivid colors are utilized by Bas to delineate the boundaries between time, space, and the enigmatic unknown. Akin to a sci-fi movie, his paintings unveil the saga of humanity locked in a ceaseless struggle between the forces of destruction and destruction itself. Delving deeper into his work, one might find that there is little respite for the human race amidst the brushstrokes. Surprisingly, many of his pieces conceal a malevolent, untamed energy within their surrealistic forms. Such malevolence may be beyond the grasp of the human mind, hinting at an uncertain fate for our species. The future of humankind is shrouded in uncertainty, with one potential outcome being the annihilation of our entire existence by an unimaginable catastrophe from the depths of outer space.

www.ftn-books.com has one Zoontjes title available

Born to Italian parents in Argentina, Emilio Pettoruti embarked on a significant journey to Europe, residing there from 1913 to 1924. During this time, he directly engaged with avant-garde groups, although he did not adhere strictly to any specific movement. One of his most notable works, La del Abanico Verde o El abanico verde (1919), captures Pettoruti’s distinct vision of modern art.

In this piece, the woman’s body is deconstructed into geometric forms, with a fan grasped in her hand. The swirling curves of the fan in motion are echoed in the lines surrounding the woman’s head, highlighting Pettoruti’s fascination with capturing dynamic movement. This interest in motion was shared with the Italian Futurists, a group that inspired Pettoruti during his time in Europe.

Through the folds of the fan, Pettoruti also demonstrates his mastery of fragmented and successive planes, a hallmark of Cubism. However, the woman’s pink dress offers a departure from the usual chromatic sobriety associated with this movement. Instead, it evokes the rosy hues seen in Fra Angelico’s paintings of angels, an artist whom Pettoruti had studied.

First displayed in Milan in 1919, where Pettoruti was residing at the time, this painting showcases his unique style that fuses elements from various artistic movements. A true testament to his artistic prowess and global influences.

www.ftn-books.com has one Pettorutti title available.

Kristin Jones and Andrew Ginzel have been collaborating since 1985, creating numerous commissioned projects for both private and public clients, as well as internationally renowned museums and galleries. Their current major works can be found at the Visual Arts Complex of the University of Colorado – Boulder, the Hoboken Ferry Terminal in New Jersey, the airports of Kansas City and Tampa, the Tiber River in Rome, and various public buildings in Orlando, Chicago, Utah, and St. Louis.

Their site-specific installations can be seen in public institutions and spaces, including the Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, New York City’s 42nd Street and Brooklyn Bridge Anchorage for Creative Time, P.S. 1 Museum, New Museum, and City Hall Park with the Public Art Fund. Nationally, their work has been exhibited at the Chicago Cultural Center, Madison Art Center, MIT’s List Visual Arts Center, Wadsworth Athenaeum, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Internationally, they have created major works for Rome at the Aquario Romano, Kunsthalle in Basel, Switzerland, Museo d’Arte Contemporanea in Prato, Italy, and the Trienalle in New Delhi, India.

Their public projects have adorned prominent buildings in Portland, Oregon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Milwaukee, Minnesota. In New York City, they have completed projects for Stuyvesant High School, PS 102, Union Square’s Metronome, and Oculus in the World Trade Center subway station for the Metropolitan Transit Authority.

Their work with performance extends to collaborations with the Next Wave Festival, renowned choreographer Merce Cunningham, musicians Ed Campion and David Dorfman, and the Creation Company.

www.ftn-books.com has one Jones/Genzel title available

Born in 1957, Michael Clegg and Martin Guttmannoriginally come from Dublin and Jerusalem, respectively. They both ventured to New York, where they crossed paths as students in Joseph Kosuth’s class at the School of Visual Arts. Since 1980, they have been seamlessly collaborating as a dynamic artist duo.

In their diverse body of work encompassing photographs, installations, material collections, interviews, and videos, Clegg & Guttmann boldly challenge and redefine the traditional genre of portraiture. They skillfully craft communication and collaboration models, inviting and reshaping the viewer’s participation.

Since their emergence on the international contemporary art scene in the early 1980s, Clegg & Guttmann have harnessed a visual rhetoric reminiscent of the bourgeois portraits from the Dutch Golden Age. At the same time, they cleverly reference group images that embody the dominant powers of the 20th and 21st centuries. By utilizing the conventions of 17th century Dutch portraiture, Clegg & Guttmann boldly position the subjects in a modern context.

The exhibition at the Konschthal Esch showcases Clegg & Guttmann’s striking portraits, which were originally rejected commissions. The duo follows a distinct protocol in their artistic process, where the subjects commission a portrait from the artists but have the liberty to decline the final result. Despite this, Clegg & Guttmann retain the right to exhibit and publish the work, which remains their property, even if the commissioner rejects it. This strategic reversal also serves as a symbolic commentary on power dynamics within the realm of portraiture.

www.ftn-books.com has now one title on this artist duo available

Robert Giron was born in Ixelles in 1897. He attended l’Académie de Bruxelles from 1919 until 1920, where his fellow schoolmates included Delvaux, Magritte, Flouquet, Cocq, and Singer. Giron also attended l’Académie Libre Labor. He was a friend of Jean Milo. In 1925 Giro exhibited with his former schoolmate, the Belgian Surrealist Paul Delvaux. In 1932 Giron became the director of exhibitions of painters at the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles.

Giron is known for his expressionistic compositions of cafés, cabarets, and theatres.

Typical of the Belgian modernists, he used cubist elements combined with a technique that exaggerates the features of his subjects.

In 1967, Giron died abruptly in Sao Paul, Brasil. He was in Brasil because he was participating in the ninth annual Biennale de Sao Paulo. The following year after his death he was honored by Le Palais des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles with an exhibition of modern artist and contemporaries that he had appreciated and encouraged.

There is an award named after Robert Groin that is presented to outstanding artists that exhibit at the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles.

Giron died in 1967 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

www.ftn-books.com has one Giron title available

Salla Tykkä (b. 1973) is a multi-faceted artist who works with film, video, and photography. Through her creations, she delves into poignant social and political issues, exploring themes of power, domination, and the manipulation of images. Despite the depth of her subject matter, Tykkä’s art always maintains a subtle and intimate connection with her own personal experiences.

A 2003 graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts, Tykkä has earned widespread recognition for her work. Her participation in the prestigious Venetian Biennale in 2001 served as a launchpad for her career, paving the way for several solo exhibitions in her home country of Finland and beyond. Notably, her works have been featured at the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum in Turku (2019), the Ludwig Museum in Budapest (2018), M – Museum in Leuven (2016), Galerie Anhava in Helsinki (2015), and Turku Art Museum (2015), just to name a few. She has also been a part of numerous group exhibitions, including showcases at Göteborgs Konsthall in Gothenburg (2015), MAXXI in Rome (2014), The Metropolitan Arts Center in Belfast (2013), and many more.

Tykkä’s films have received critical acclaim and continue to be widely screened at festivals worldwide. With a rich and varied body of work, Tykkä’s art is a testament to her talent and her ability to elicit enigmatic complexity and linguistic dynamism in her creations. Through her unconventional use of language and storytelling techniques, she invites viewers to explore and reframe their perceptions of the world and the prevailing power dynamics within it.

www.ftn-books.com has one Tykkä title now available.

Leo Wesel was born in 1955 in Roosendaal, The Netherlands. However, his artistic journey led him to spend two decades living and creating in Ventimiglia, Italy, before eventually settling in Nice, France. His passion for the arts was ignited during his studies at the Arts Academy of the Hague, where he was trained and inspired by two esteemed expressionist professors, Wil Bouthoorn and Wim Schutz. Over the years, Wesel’s works have been influenced and stimulated by various artists including French painter Serge Helenon, French-Italian artist Bernhard Damiano, and more recently, Hungarian constructivists Tamas Konok and Estvan Nadler. He continues to create his distinct style of lithography in Vac, Hungary, drawing from a fusion of these diverse influences. In his sculptural pieces, Wesel sources materials from diverse sources such as slate, ceramics, wood, and iron, often transforming them into bronze or aluminum. His works have been showcased in multiple European and American galleries and museums, and his art can be found in both private and museum collections in France, Holland, and Hungary.

www.ftn-books.com carries one title on Wesel in its inventory