Dick van Berkum 1 / Ad Reinhardt-Gustave Courbet

Ad Reinhardt

Abstract Painting

1963

Gustave Courbet

Autoportrait sous forme d'une pipe

1858

(Courbet, sans idéal et sans religion)

Beside many others Ad Reinhardt "accompanied" me for many years during the 1970ies and 80ies.

I liked his paintings from the 1950ies and early 60ies as well as his cartoons and writings.

In the late years of his life his paintings became black: “no realism, no impressionism, no expressionism… no texture, no brushwork, no sketching or drawing, no forms, no designs, no calm, no light, no space, no time, no size or scale, no movement, no object, no subject.”

A great challenge and opportunity for a new start in my view. My painting from 1993 is a selfportrait. It's me in the studio, watching the change of light and colors on a sunny afternoon.

Dick van Berkum, 2015

Dick van Berkum (NL)

Made in Holland (Sunlight in the Studio)

1993

acrylic, pencil and oil on canvas

140 x 280 cm

http://www.galeries.nl/mnkunstenaar.asp?artistnr=24805&vane=1&em=&meer=&sessionti=541676601

Lesley Hicks / Johannes Vermeer

Johannes Vermeer

View of Delft

c.1660-1661

oil on canvas

96,5  x 115,7 cm

‘The View of Delft’ by Vermeer possesses the freshness of sunshine after rain and although it was his hometown, for me it has all the visual excitement of venturing into a place for the very first time.

My watercolour ‘view of Antwerp from south of the river’ was painted with a nod to Vermeer’s great work, during my first walk into that city. The light, skyline and river were too enticing to pass by without recording that particular, never to be repeated moment, a moment of anticipation.

When working out in the open in this way I find the process and urgency of decisions – where to begin – what to leave out - the scale of mark - happen so quickly as to be almost beyond thought.  As instinct kicks in - the accumulation of decisions crystallize into the painting.

Lesley Hicks, 2015

Lesley Hicks (UK)

View of Antwerp from South of the River

2010

watercolour, ink and acrylic on paper

14 x 21 cm

www.lesleyhicks.com