23 april 2020, Oscar van Gelderen & Manuela Klerkx
Jan's pick...
In this section we let a selection of art lovers – from occasional buyers to art professionals – talk about their perception of art and preferences: where do they want to see art? Where do they purchase art, and above all: from which artists do they buy? Below, an interview with Jan van Huizen (Director of an architectual firm, age 70)
What does art mean to you?
From the age of eighteen to thirty-seven I was dependent on what was shown in museums. There was no money for purchases, because I was setting up an architectural firm. Today, I regularly visit London to view retrospective exhibitions at the Tate Modern, Tate Britain and Royal Academy, not to mention the Saatchi Gallery, which features contemporary art exhibitions.
Marc Mulders, Let the desert bloom, 2019, Kersgallery.
Were you exposed to art while growing up?
Apart from a proper upbringing, I wasn't exposed to any visual art at home! I have followed my own adventurous path.
Where do you read about the latest developments in the art world?
For art purchases I orient myself at various art fairs, of which Art Rotterdam, Art Cologne, Frieze in London and the Biennale in Venice are the most important. I also follow a number of galleries, such as Ramakers, Ron Mandos and Lumen Travo. The graduation show the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague is always worth a visit.
Carel Visser, Untitled, 1965, BorzoGallery
Where do you prefer to see art?
Besides visiting galleries, museums and fairs, visiting an artist’s studio also a real treat. There you can see how the artist works, and you will gain insight into, for example, his collection of ethnography, his colour palette and the books and/or newspaper articles that have caught his attention.
How often do you buy art each year?
Last year I bought four sculptures, one each by André Kruysen, Frank Halmans, Sarah Reinbold and Warffemius. I estimate that my annual purchases amount to the average annual income for an artist. I prefer to buy unique work.
Raquel Maulwurf, Black sea XV, 2020, Livingstone Gallery.
Where do you do your buying: in a gallery, at an art fair, at an auction or online?
I usually buy art in the gallery or at an art fair. Never online.
Is it important that you and your partner always agree on a purchase?
For thirty years I made purchases together with my wife, Käthy Gosschalk. If one of us had any doubts, no purchases were made. The last four years, I am alone in buying art. Yet, I continue to find joy in collecting.
TINKEBELL., Flower collage in a box of concrete with aceton print, 2017, TORCH Gallery.
Is there a gallery with which you have a special bond?
I had a special bond with three galleries in The Hague: Nouvelles Images, Seasons and Ramakers. The owners of the first galleries (Erik Bos and John Hall) have passed away. Ramakers celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, a great achievement. Catalijn Ramakers shows a broad spectrum in contemporary art, within that range I am particularly interested in artists whose work is inspired by nature, such as Sjoerd Buisman and Hieke Luik.
If you had an unlimited budget, who would you buy a work from?
"Rosy-Fingered Dawn at Louse Point" by Willem de Kooning. If the Stedelijk Museum does not want to sell this, it may also be a projection by James Turrell or an installation by Olafur Eliasson.
Cor van Dijk, Zonder titel, 2011, Galerie Ramakers.
Who are your favourite artists?
Marc Mulders covers his canvases with bold brushstrokes and thick layers of paint. Many colours and abstract figures are shown on the canvases, and the light splashes from them.
For me, Carel Visser is the most important Dutch sculptor. If you follow his development from the mid-fifties to his death in 2015, it is an exciting journey, both in terms of form and use of materials.
Raquel Maulwurf works with coal (chalk): she wipes it out and cuts it in such a way that a destructive war situation emerges.
Maartje Korstanje, Untitled, 2018, RAM.
