14 may 2020, Oscar van Gelderen & Manuela Klerkx
Tristan'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 Tristan Spits (CEO of Oedipus Brewing, age 38)
What does art mean to you?
A lot of things at the same time, but above all: it distracts, in the most pleasant way that I can imagine. It is a mirror and an escape at the same time: it broadens my horizon and at the same time teaches me more about myself.
Frank Ammerlaan, Untitled, 2015,Upstream Gallery.
It was definitely part of my upbringing. My grandparents, Alex and Jacobine Orlow, founded and built the Peter Stuyvesant collection at the time. Their life was a life full of art (and glamour). The Peter Stuyvesant collection was the first major collection in the Netherlands that brought art to the job floor.
Where do you read about the latest developments in the art world?
Mainly online, I browse through and follow a lot of Instagram profiles of galleries and artists, GalleryViewer and Patty Morgan. Sometimes, I also sometimes dive deeper into what is written online about a certain artist.
Where do you prefer to see art?
Preferably in the artist's studio. The story around it and the connection with the place where the work was made makes it extra valuable to me. Fairs too, because it gives you a clear overview and allows you to see a lot at once.
Kévin Bray, Losing it, 2019, Galerie Stigter Van Doesburg.
How often do you buy art each year?
I buy work about five times a year, sometimes a little more. I only buy unique works: it is really a personal relationship that I enter into with the artist.
Where do you do your buying: in a gallery, at an art fair, at an auction or online?
A little bit of everything: I buy at the fair, in the gallery, sometimes online and sometimes from the artist himself.
Dave McDermott, The Lotos Garden (Frau mit Korallen), 2020, GRIMM.
Is it important that you and your partner always agree on a purchase?
It is mainly my department and hobby, so I usually decide for myself. Having said that, what comes on the wall in the living room has to go through a strict ballot committee and that committee has only one member: Inger, my beloved and life partner.
Is there a gallery with which you have a special bond?
There are some, but in particular with Torch Gallery, where I bought works by Thijs Zweers and later became friends with Mo. I appreciate how Mo took over his father's gallery and made it an entrepreneurial success. Besides Torch Gallery, I am always very impressed with the quality at Grimm Gallery.
Thijs Zweers, DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION VII, 2020, Torch Gallery.
David Hockney is # 1 for me: the colors, the versatility, the fun in life. For me, James Turrell's work is an almost spiritual experience. Victor Vasarely’s work was in my grandfather’s corporate collection, and Loie Hollowell, because of the power that comes from the work.
Who are your favourite artists?
Daniel Mullen's work is geometric and architectural. At first it looks like digitally printed, but it is paint, it vibrates and is therefore very lively.
Much admired: Frank Ammerlaan's work - certainly in the works in which he uses lead and copper - is very mature and confident due to the tactility. Last edition of Art Rotterdam, I was able to buy a work from him.
Fresh and innovative: what Kévin Bray shows is in my opinion really promising. Nothing seems to be certain for Kévin. His work is one large collage, a kind of free research into media, material and form. Very special work, I like to keep following him.
Daniel Mullen, Rose, 2020, Frank Taal Galerie.
