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Frank van Hemert (continued )

A brief tale about a prominent artist whom I have been following for over 3 decades, and whose marvelous collection I have built. His name has now resurfaced as I have acquired 3 significant early works. All three pieces originate from the esteemed collection of Gallery Nouvelles Images, and two of which were featured in the Van Hemert exhibitions at the Hague Municipal Museum. After being sold by Nouvelles Images, these works found their way into private collections, but I suspect that the gallery has repurchased them. Two of the works, executed on hard board with mixed media, will for certain remain in my personal collection, while the third (a gouache) might be available for purchase, as it bears a striking resemblance to a drawing already in my possession. www.ftn-books.com offers a nearly complete collection of Frank van Hemert’s catalogs for sale, sure to leave any enthusiast enthralled.

Here are the three acquisitions to our collection:

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Mishka Henner (1976)

Mishka Henner is a notable contributor leading the pack of contemporary artists reshaping the role of photography in the digital era. He perceives the capturing of imagery through an incessant array of automated and manual cameras as a cohesive depiction of the world, with boundless intricacy available to all with online access. A significant portion of his craft navigates this expansive digital landscape, honing in on critical themes of cultural and geo-political significance. His creative process often entails thorough investigative research coupled with the intricate construction of visuals crafted from materials procured online.

Born in 1976 in Brussels, Belgium, Henner relocated to the United Kingdom in 1984. He holds a Master’s degree from Goldsmiths College in London and in 2013, was bestowed with the Infinity Award for Art by the International Center of Photography. He was a finalist for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize that same year, and in 2014, made the shortlist for the Prix Pictet for his expansive works centering on landscapes shaped by the beef and oil industries in America. Henner’s pieces were featured in the group exhibit New Photography at the renowned Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2015. A prominent solo showcase, Counter Intelligence at Orebro Konsthall in Sweden, showcased his works from various series in the spring of 2017.

www.ftn-books.com has the NO MAN’s LAND publication now available.

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Anuli Croon (1964)

Here is what Anuli Croon says about her work on her website.

www.ftn-books.com has currently 2 Croon titles available.

My paintings and works on paper show constructions that represent figures, interiors, and parts of cities as autonomous identities.

The figures as well as the urban fragments are composed of an assemblage of visual elements of different origins.

In a painting I always take my departure from varying viewpoints/perspectives. This way the paintings are becoming constructions that are open to several interpretations. The body shapes, noses and hands are stylized, the ambient features are made up of evenly looking planes and patterns.                                                                    

In my work I aim to combine different viewpoints in order to achieve a convincing picture. Basically everything is equally important and weighs equally heavily. I make no distinction in terms of time or style: classical, modern, folk art, fashion, textiles, architecture, art, comic strips – anything that comes to mind crystallizes out and I force it together in paintings to give it an individual identity.                                   

My influences are diverse:

Modern art, applied art, folk art; tapestries and textiles; comics and graphic novels; posters, stamps, book covers from various times and cultures.

– Artists: Giotto, Malevich, Roy Lichtenstein, Holbein, Seurat, Zurburán, Rogier van der Weijden, Philip Guston, Jean Brusselmans, Hendrik Werkman, Saul Steinberg, Eduardo Paolozzi,  Charley Harper, Patrick Caulfield, Matisse, Ikko Tanaka, Escher, Dick Bruna, Yrrah, Charles & Ray Eames, Alexander Girard.

These influences have fostered my imagery and strengthened me in my ambition to find what I was looking for.  My paintings relate to a crystallized reality, but not in the form of a story. It is rather a matter of interrupted narratives and connotations that resound in the space.  The viewers can wander among the various painted layers, or via the tangent planes where the layers converge.                                                                                   

In the paintings there is no centre; everything seems equally important. They are intangible puzzles that do not allow repetition or unambiguous explanations.  This way the paintings are becoming lucid and autonomous constructions that are open to several interpretations.

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Anselm Kiefer “Twin Towers” at Museum Voorlinden

It all began in early January 2024. We frequently walk our dogs in the Museum Voorlinden area, an inspiring environment that is perfect for displaying large-scale sculptures in a natural setting. Last year, it was the approximately 60 human figures by Anthony Gormley, and this year, two impressive towers suddenly arose in the midst of the dunes. At first, I thought it was a work by Atelier van Lieshout, but upon inquiry, it turned out to be a masterpiece by Anselm Kiefer.



In early January, certain pathways to the dune area were closed off and a bridge was reinforced. Shortly after, the 800-meter path was elevated by 80 cm and leveled, with plates added for heavy machinery to drive on. It was a sudden transformation. Walls of stacked cubes were delivered and it became clear that a sculpture would be installed, as two foundations were laid for erecting a structure. It turned out to be two towers of different sizes. I estimate that one tower is about 19 meters tall and the other about 16 meters. It’s fascinating to see this artwork being built over the weeks, as not only the artwork itself is admirable, but also the technical and financial efforts that were put into making it happen. Now, approximately 6 weeks after the project began, the installation is complete. A unique location for a unique Kiefer piece, one that is a “must-see” for anyone who visits the Museum Voorlinden, to admire and appreciate the accomplishment in a setting like no other

www.ftn-books.com has a range of Anselm Kiefer titles now available.

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Karin van Dam ( continued)

I am still fascinated by the works of Karin van Dam. A new addition QUARTIER SOULS LE VENT made during her Paris stay sparked the interest in her again. The book si now available at www.ftn-books.com

Renowned for her installations, Karin van Dam (1959) constructs her pieces using unconventional materials like boat bumpers, ropes, and insulation pipes. She has even utilized pre-fabricated plastic ponds, suspending them in the space of the Vleeshal in Middelburg. Van Dam perceives her installations as three-dimensional drawings, inviting viewers to walk through them. She prepares her works in advance, creating small-scale drawings incorporating spatial objects such as rubber caps, ropes, and wooden sticks. Urban structures and street patterns serve as a crucial starting point for her creations, but she freely and intuitively translates them, exploring the possibilities that the materials and objects she finds offer.

For years, Karin van Dam has been working on an ongoing project titled Steden op doorreis/Traveling Cities. The title references Italo Calvino’s novel Le città invisibili (Invisible Cities), where Marco Polo narrates imaginary cities to Kublai Khan. In the series’ initial works, Van Dam draws inspiration from Italian Renaissance towns, combining black facades with arches, battlements, and wool and other materials. Over time, the cities become more abstract and are suspended freely in space. In recent years, she has collaborated extensively with the Textielmuseum Tilburg, producing complex knitted covers for her work.

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Gerti Bierenbroodspot (1940)

Born in Amsterdam in 1940, Gerti Bierenbroodspot has emerged over the years as one of the most renowned, beloved, and multifaceted artists in the Netherlands. Her greatest inspiration is Leonardo Da Vinci, known as l’uomo universale – the universal man. Bierenbroodspot’s repertoire includes painting, sculpture, bronze casting, tapestry design, ceramics, and stained glass.

Renowned writer Gerrit Komrij included a short poem by Gertie Bierenbroodspot in his seminal work on Dutch poetry. In addition to poetry, she also writes beautifully lyrical prose. She has aspirations to one day compose an opera, with the libretto already conceptualized.

The central theme in Gertie Bierenbroodspot’s work is the labyrinth of time in which we wander. In her core, she is a devotee of the god Shiva, who dances to destroy creation in order for the new to emerge. This theme is ever-present in her work and the way in which she gives it form.

For years, Gertie Bierenbroodspot was part of an archaeological team conducting research in the Jordanian city of Petra. She has also been involved in archaeological research in other countries in the Middle East. In 1995, she was knighted by King Hussein of Jordan.

www.ftn-books.com has now the title with the works on Egypt and Pompeii available

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Drewes de Wit (1944)

Drewes de Wit has been a practicing artist for 50 years. His work is rooted in the fundamental art of the 1970s, where process and research holds greater value than the final product. De Wit, however, takes it a step further, with the process remaining significant but the eventual outcome guiding the way. The sleek and polished surface, along with the seemingly blurred imagery in his paintings, create a subtle yet refined aesthetic. However, the intention is not to evoke poetry or mysticism. Instead, it is grounded in scientific principles, reminiscent of examining tiny creatures under a microscope or deciphering symbols from a forgotten language. De Wit’s work is a captivating journey for the viewer, an adventurous exploration of intricate details that never cease to fascinate.

www.ftn-books.com has the scarce ( ed of 150 copies) 2011 book now available.

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B.C. Epker (1968)

Intriguing drawings and woodcuts are the hallmark of B.C. Epker (Harlingen, 1968), provoking contemplation on our contemporary situation. Possessing a penchant for landscapes, these works feature one or more figures, alluding to the influences of religion and myths, as well as the never-ending flow of media imagery inundating our lives. His pieces are a melting pot of imagery, events, passions, dreams, and unbridled imagination. Recently, he was awarded the prestigious Gerrit Benner Prize.

A graduate of the AKI, Academy of Fine Arts in Enschede, B.C. Epker completed his studies in 1996. Combining fragments from a diverse collection of images (ranging from historical engravings, pornographic images, advertisements, memorial cards, and postcards), he creates unexpected and unique compositions. Idyllic landscapes serve as the backdrop for a colorful cast of characters in his works, including armed citizens, cartoon characters, Greek gods, mythological figures, and people in traditional dress. Initially, the scenes may seem familiar and accessible, but upon closer inspection, this is not the case. Nothing is straightforward in Epker’s depictions. Concepts such as good and evil, or beauty and ugliness lose their meaning; rigidly-held norms and values are called into question.

www.ftn-books.com has the Lucis Domains book from 2006 now available.

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Niels Helmink (1976)

This is what Helmink says on his own site about himself and his work:

I make photographs in order to create images that stick in your mind, to be able to show a situation as it is when I encounter it and to preserve it forever. What I record is the reality. My subjects must first of all be socially relevant, but they must also have an aesthetic function. In my work I investigate ostensible trivialities and cultural phenomena, both Dutch and foreign. What also interests me are trivialities and cultural phenomena which are slowly vanishing and becoming more and more unpopular. What is the social significance of the fact that certain situations are disappearing in our society? When is something no longer a part of our times? Where does the turning point lie? In my work I try, among other things, to find out where this turning point is (to my mind, at least).

Another major theme in my work is architecture. I particularly use architecture’s cultural and social significance, its function, as a decor for my subjects. In my opinion, society, people’s actions and architecture are inseparably connected with one another. A person is nothing without a space in which to live or to work, and the other way around, a space devoid of the people that are connected with it does not come alive.

Through my composition and execution, I enhance the aesthetic element that I see in the subject matter, showering the viewer with details and impressions through categorization and repetition. With the same elements repeatedly coming to the fore in each individual picture, the message becomes clearer. I systematically work out my subject matter, as Bernd and Hilla Becher did with their typologies of industry, in order to achieve a clear line in my method of presentation.

www.ftn-books.com has the SHOPKEEPERS book by Helmink now available

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Gjalt Blaauw (1945)

Gjalt Blaauw’s work is characterized by distinct forms and a poetic playfulness. His material of choice is steel, painted in cheerful colors or red-brown rusted, and stone. Despite the weight and solidity of the material, the sculptures exude a lightness in their essence. They often seem to flutter like a flag or flicker like a flame. Other works resemble a cloud or plume of smoke. With Narcissus, Blaauw even managed to suggest a rippling water surface with steel. Many of his works consist of two or more separate elements, arranged in a seemingly precarious composition. They give the impression of being constructed with an oversize set of building blocks rather than being the result of an artistic concept. Yet, it is precisely this direct and unpretentious nature that gives these sculptures their attraction.

GJALT BLAAUW (1945) was educated at the art academies of Leeuwarden, Arnhem, and Groningen. After graduating in 1969, he participated in over one hundred exhibitions both nationally and internationally, including ‘Op losse schroeven’ at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (1969), ‘Lyrisch schetsboek voor de stad’ at the CBK Groningen (1994), and ‘Beelden op de Scheldeboulevard’ in Terneuzen (2012). He had solo presentations at the Fries Museum (1992) and around Borg Rusthoven in Wirdum (2005). For public spaces, Blaauw created the untitled sculptures for the Winschoterbrug in Winschoten (1989), the nature and recreation area Kardinge in Groningen (1999), and Park Sijtwende in Leidschendam-Voorburg (2010).

Gjalt Blaauw currently resides and works in Groningen.

www.ftn-books.com has several Gjalt Blaauw publications now available.