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A Visual Wonderland
Athena Newton The King of Trash, Jan Henderikses Alltagmytheng Cathleen Haff Grand Opening, Catalog Gerhard Graulich Exhibition in the Waschhaus Germany Inspirations with Jan Henderikse Renate Wiehager Brooklyn in Potsdam - Jan Henderikse im Waschhaus Die Welt |
A Visual Wonderland, by Athena Newton Between May 13th through the 17th, Amsterdam featured 120 of the most influential galleries in contemporary art. Located in the RAI, a convention center primarily recognized for its dance and sporting events, was a grandeur selection of life size installations, sketches, photography, abstracts, and sculptures (to name a few). Art enthusiasts from all over gathered to experience a fascinating assortment from both Dutch and other international works. Germany, Belgium, France, Denmark, South Africa, and Korea were just a few of the countries represented alongside The Netherlands. Due to the extraordinary amount of work displayed, Jan Henderikse, Iris Frerichs, and Efrat Zehavi were handpicked (by yours truly) as some of the most thought provoking and unforgettable featured at Art Amsterdam. This is not to in any way undermine other artists, but to simply show a portion of Holland’s finest. Jan Henderikse Borzo, Amsterdam 95% of men’s thoughts are about sex. 95% of mine are about art. -Jan Henderikse 
Money Money Money Disorderly. Evocative. Brilliant. Jan Henderikse’s Shredded Money valiantly challenges tradition. At first glance, Henderikse’s work is rather difficult to comprehend: A mountain of shredded U.S. currency, Curacao license plates, lit up Mother Teresa figures, quotes from the Village Voice surrounded by neon lighting; the list goes on. Like his materials, his method is just as random: I use a lot of materials; whatever I'm interested in ... They’re just simple objects from life ... To classify Henderikse's work as Pop Art, or Kitsch would be all too easy. His aesthetics communicate a reality lacking any clear definition; it is informal, unsystematic, and esoteric: Perhaps this is the allure. It seems as if Henderikse's art is influenced by objects used in his everyday life. Through his materials we see reality and what he makes of it. When evaluating a pile of shredded dollars one must wonder if there is a deeper social and political message: Is Henderikse's intention to suggest the cruel and dismal nature of the current global economy? Or is this abstruse creation merely art for art's sake? What about a quote that reads: If this is your name and you sport and dancing bear tattoo, I have been back looking for you. I read "On the Road". Great book. Call Brenda. What can we make of this? Put simply, Henderikse's art is experimental and cutting-edge; exactly the way art should be. © Athena Newton, May 24, 2009 on ARTslant the #1 contemporary art network http://www.artslant.com/ams/articles/show/7451 |