29 april 2020, Oscar van Gelderen & Manuela Klerkx
Jochem'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 Jochem Bouwens (PR Director at Overamstel Publishers, 48)
What does art mean to you?
It may sound a little pathetic, but I can't imagine a life without art. While others run or play the guitar, I especially enjoy visual arts.
Boris Tellegen, Complete Control Over Everything, 2019, Galerie Ron Mandos.
My parents are my teachers. I had to go to museums endlessly. It has laid the foundations for my love for art. They once said that when buying art it is alright to be in the red. I took that to heart!
Where do you read about the latest developments in the art world?
I enjoy both watching television programmes such as Nu te Zien! and Close Up and the daily feeds on Instagram, for example Avant Arte’s feed. I look at forums like GalleryViewer, read newsletters from, for example, We Like Art, and keep an eye on the newspapers.
Jochem Rotteveel, Almost nearly, 2019, Galerie Bart.
Where do you prefer to see art?
I follow a lot of art and design feeds on Instagram. Of course, I go to museums and galleries, with a preference for compact museums such as De Kunsthal in Rotterdam.
How often do you buy art each year?
I buy art about five times a year, in all shapes and sizes. Every now and then I buy something with humour. Like a work by Kenny Schachter, which I installed in the toilet, titled The Larry Joke. It consists of the following text: "Larry Gagosian came up to me the other day & told me that one of his best friends had just died after a sudden illness. I said "What did he have?" He said "Oh, a nurse painting, a couple of Basquiat drawings & a pretty good Warhol."
Frank Ammerlaan, Model for Concensus #3, 2017, Upstream Gallery.
Where do you do your buying: in a gallery, at an art fair, at an auction or online?
I buy at (online) auctions, directly from Dutch and foreign artists that I’ve discovered on Instagram, at galleries at home and abroad and at art fairs.
Is it important that you and your partner always agree on a purchase?
It's easy for me, because I'm single. I think I would find it difficult to buy art together. Isn't it more fun to choose what appeals to you without compromise, and hopefully appreciate each other's choice?
Koen Delaere, MudHoneySummer, 2019, Gerhard Hofland.
Is there a gallery with which you have a special bond?
I am very fond of the Mini Galerie in Amsterdam. Owner Julia van der Meer scouts a lot of (young) talent at the beginning of their career, which means that the works are often still affordable. I am also a fan of HERO and am amazed about the works shown at galleries such as Upstream Gallery. And I have lived next to Gallery Slewe for years, their exhibitions are often very beautiful.
If you had an unlimited budget, who would you buy a work from?
If money didn't matter, the first thing I’d buy would be a work by Larry Bell. To my great frustration, I was in New York just too late in 2017 to see his glass sculptures on the rooftop of the Whitney Museum.
Thomas Raat, MONO, 2019, HERO.
Who are your favourite artists?
One of my favourites is Frank Ammerlaan, I would like to own one of his works. The geometric shapes, the use of metal and chemicals make his work is enchantingly beautiful.
Jochem Rotteveel really appeals to me because of his unusual choice of materials. Rotteveel works with tape and all kinds of foil and in beautiful glossy, matte, transparent colours.
I find Joris Vanpoucke an interesting painter, especially his series of self-portraits. His landscapes and plant paintings are currently on show in the Netherlands at Gerhard Hofland.
Jan Roeland, Compositie met acht messen, 1980, Slewe Gallery.
