Going back in time: Daniel Gould’s 3D List, Art in Amsterdam #87

We are now beginning the seventh year of tryng to cope with austerity measures. The Dutch economy is still at the slumber stage though some figures show slow recoveries for a few sections of the economy.

However, there are many for rent signs in shop windows and sale signs with up to 70% off. A handful of galleries have closed since the end of the 2014-2015 season calendar. Others have made further cuts by doing their announcements for new shows via the Internet; no paper invitations. Most galleries are having fewer shows. Hapjes? A memory from the past. One gallery is actually charging for their printed promotion. (More about that below.) 

This is all very unfortunate because the art is better than ever. Kid you not! New directions; new inspirations; new materials; and imaginative techniques. And that's what the art world is all about.

Read through the list of What is Happening at the Galleries and make it a point to check out what sounds interesting to you. You will be rewarded!

INDEX:

Bits & Pieces:

What's Happening at the Galleries:

BITS & PIECES:

In the introduction, to this 3D List, I mentioned the negative effects of austerity on the Dutch economy. Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize recipient for its Economic's Award, 2008, has this to say on the matter of the subject: "A paper by Lawerence Summers and Antonio Fatás stated, 'Supporting other economist conclusions that the crisis seems to have done enormous long-run damage. What this suggest is that the turn to austerity had truly catastrophic effects, going far beyond the jobs and income lost in the first few years....Government's that slashed spending in the face of depression hurt their economies, and hense their future tax rrecipts, so much that even their debt will end up higher than it would have been without the cuts.' " Are you reading this Mr. Prime Minister? (https://www.nytimes.com/, 6th November. 2015
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The newest from Laser 3.14: "We'll carve a new age."  (Amstel 91) Hmmm! Hey, Laser, who is "We?" 
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...And more from Laser: "So this is what the beginning of a world war feels like." (Kinkerstraat 126) Whoa...He is now a geopolitican. Unfortunately, he has described the seeds of world war as has been sown in the Middle East. Indeed, there is every possibility that that regional conflict can influence and precipitate such a conflagration. 
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And at the Prisengracht 533, he writes, "Gate openers will be the first to flee."
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Elsa Maxwell was known through the American 40s and 50s as the premier party giver. She said, "Giving parties is a trivial avocation, but it pays my dues for the union card in humanity." There's that!
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Dorothy Parker, an American writer, of the 20s and 30s, known for her caustic and sarcastic wit, said, "The first thing I do every morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue!"
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Saw this on the T-shirt of a ten year old German' girl: "It ain't much when it's not Dutch."  Hey, the Germans final get it!
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Food lovers take note: "What garlic is to salad, insanity is to art!" Seen outside of Myngheer, Prisnsengracht.
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Singer/songwriter Gloria Trevi said, "When music has emotion, the language does not need to be understood." Ain't that the truth. I don't understand French, but every time of hear Edith Piaf sing Milord and Nonregrets, I know and feel what she is saying.
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"Food is art, the kitchen a studio, the dish a canvas." From the novel, "The Art of Fielding," by Chad Harbach. Anyone want to argue with that! Bring it on....3D motto is "I don't eat to live...I live to eat!" 
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"A tug of war over sales transparency,"  by Scott Reyburn (www inyt.com, 29th Sept). He asks the question, "Do auction houses cheat?" There are two types of auction houses. One is geared to be commercial and uses its platform to promote the sale of something. The other is the liquidation auction houses. EVERYTHING MUST GO regardless of the price. An example of that is Amsterdam's Zwaan. Christies and Southey's and others are SELLING VENUES.
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Have you tried The Butcher located at the Hallen and on the Albert Cuypstraat? They have a good copy writer: "Long time no see! Lets ketchup." Groan!!! "I am gonna make you a burger you can't refuse." Hmmmm. But this tops them all: "May the fries be with you." Note: They do have exceptionally good fries. https://bit.ly/2DCkITS 
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WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE GALLERIES: 

What a marvelous exhibition at MINI Galerie (Kinkerstraat 12) for the print collector. The curators, Jasper Andries and Adam Oostenbrink, the directors of MASHVILLE graphic design studio, have collaborated with over 126 artists to create posters and prints. In this show they have selected the work of 44 of them which were inspired by their joint effort with the studio. What you will see is just about everything as far as style and imagery is concerned. From the abstract to UTOPIA. The latter is the typography imagery for one work. Do you like strip art? There are a few examples. How about something with a musical theme? Got that too. Or check out the astronaut floating through space. The color varieties will overwhelm you; and you should see a retro peek at the 60s. This probably has as much to do with the technique---silkscreens---as it does with the imagery....And the prices? Well, it is also like going back to the 60s. If you are a new or young collector this is a show for you; you can't go wrong at these prices. (21x30 cms., RISO print @ 20 euro or 40 euro with frame; 50x70 cms., silkscreen, Ed. 15 @ 40 euro; 65x100 cms., silkscreen @ 90 euro). This is short exhibit. It ends on the 28th November. www.minigalerie.nl 
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Ger Doornink returns to MORRREN GALLERIES (Prinsengracht 572) for a limited engagement. He has a unique painting style and while he always remains true to it he continues to evolve it as well. First, what hasn't changed is he still paints the female portrait. However, he has added nuances like more gemometric abstraction against the focused imagery. The title of the show is "Ode to Japan" where he once spent the better part of a year. And you can see the influences especially in the colors. (100x100 cms., mixed media/oil @ 3,400 euro; 200x150 cms., mixed media/oil @ 6,500 euro)  Until 26th November. www.morrengalleries.nl 
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Zoé Byland has an exhibition at KOCHXBOX (1e Anjeliersdwarsstraat 36) which will surprise you. 3D's first impression, when I walked into the gallery, was that she was updating late 19th century b/w photography. Oops! Got it wrong! All the work is done with acrylic paint and airbrushing. The realism is so real that I can excuse myself for making the initial mistake. But the imagery does reflect the 19th century. Most of the subject matter is focused on young girls dressed in the fashion of that time. How she updates it is by adding humorous asides and unusual nuances. An example is the girl with a Batman's hood over her head and eyes standing next to an owl also in the same Batman'-like mask. In a couple of works the subjects wear what looks like a fish bowl over the faces and resting on their shoulders. Look closely at one of the paintings and you will see, reflected in the glass, a human skull. Also available---and perhaps a nice Sinterklaas gift---is a packet of 5 over sized postcards which reproduces pieces from the show; an dpriced at 8 euro. (220x20 cms., acrylic + airbrush @ 1,300 euor; 60x40 cms., same technique @ 4,200 euro; 130x90 same techniques @ 8,700 euro)  Until 4th December. www.kochxbos.com
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Qlick Editions (Gerard Doustraat 134) mounts an exhibition for Matthias Heiderich who 3D describes as a conceptual realist photographer. That is, he concerns himself with contemporary buildings focusing on their rectangular forms and their linear geometric abstractions. In most cases, the compositions are sparse which tends to set-off the imagery. He uses light effectively. (15x15 cms., photography @ 99 euro; 25x25 cms., C-print with Plexiglas, Ed 15 @ 350 euro; 70x70 cms., C-print with Plexiglas, Ed. 15 @ 1,150 euro)  5 RED DOTS. Until 24th December. www.qlickeditions.com 
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...And more photography from Cheryl Schurgers, who is a recent graduate of the Reiveld Academy and hangs her work at Percipi (Rozenstraat 227). She describes her work thus: "[I am] both the model and photographer, [who] places my body in different settings and seeks out new methods to construct my reality." And she is true to that in that the imagery is conceptual. Unusual views of reality like eat black pasta; drinking from a straw while laying on her belly on a bench; cradling an arm full of balls against her chest creating an illusion of multiple breast. Sometimes she plays with color and contrast where the subject matter becomes all but irrelevant. (55x37 cms., photo @ 550 euro; 83x55 cms., photo @ 875 euro; 129x86 cms., photo @ 1,750 euro) Until 13th December. https://bit.ly/2xrBKhW 
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..And still more photography at, Eduard Planting Gallery (1e Bloemdwarstraat 2) that exhibits Marie Cécile Thijs who is an illusionist using photography as her medium. Technically, the work is perfect: light, color and composition. The illusion part is sometimes in what you see like a lemon levitating above a glass while it is in the process of being self-peeling with juice dripping from it. Can't picture it? Yeah, you gotta see it! In another photo you see a parrot tulip in five phases of growth from a partially opened bud to the flower in full bloom. Two Polaroids are included in the show and both are one of a kind. (Polaroid, unique @ 1,500 euro; other photos comes in two sizes: 110x80 cms., C-print, Lambda on Dibond, Ed. 10 @ 3,650 euro & 125x100 cms.m, same technique, Ed. 7 @ 4,650 euro)  Until 2bd January. www.eduardplanting.com 
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The SBK Amsterdam (Oranje-Vrijstaatkade 57) is hard to find but more often than not worth the trouble. This is true with their present exhibition titled Lichtbaden which features seven light installations. A total of ten artists have contributed with some working as a duo: Nicky Assman & Joris Strijbos; Lola Bezemer & Juri Suzuki; Leslie Nagel; Mike Rijnierse & Rob Bothof; Dorette Sturm; Gabey Tjon Tham; and Jonas Vorwerk. The show is curated by Loes Diephuis & John Prop. My first thought was this show will lose something because most of the opening hours will be during daylight hours. Then I looked closely at the announcement and saw that the space will be opened from 16:00 to 22:00 from Wednesday to Saturday. Good!  And you can easily linger at anyone installation because there are beach chairs you can recline in as you take in the sights and sometimes sounds. One work, I'll call it a blob, is four meters long and about three meters wide and hangs just above the floor. As you sit and view it the light takes on different intensities. An array of 12 (100x100 cms.) metal grids---each segmented into squares---feature their own light bulb. They hang from the ceiling in a staggered arraignment. There are other kinetic works and each has a different take on creative imagery. Some works have sound. Overall, an interesting exhibition. Until 9th January. https://bit.ly/2DG7YeH           www.polderlicht.com 
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JASKI (Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 29) presents Chris Berens for his 6th appearance. And he is doing the same ol' thing...but differently! In this show we see a dark side with a couple of works that are visually dark and emotionally brooding. Then there is a series of female "portraits." Sometimes the subjects are haunting or mysterious, or puzzling, or sensitive and/or endearing. And he is often play- full. Another series featuring the sky, with clouds, is visually unusual, so much so that you got to see them for yourself. His technique is special too. Often his works look like collages, but nothing could be further form the truth. Each work is hand-drawn. His craftsmanship is as impressive as his art. 5 RED DOTS at opening. (37x40 cms., ink and graphite on paper and wood @ 7,500 euro; 60x100 cms., same tech. @ 10,000 euro). Until __?__  www.jaski.nl
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This is the second exhibition for Juane Xue, within a year,  (NL/China) at Morren Galleries (Prisengracht 572). She blends seamlessly the impressionist style with an expressionist' approach. The works are colorful, complex and with broad brush strikes. Her subject matter is the dinner table and always in the open air. All are like "the party's over" since there are no people and we see a table crowned with glasses and wine bottles half-full and half-empty. Huh? (50x60 cms., acrylic on canvas @ 3,600 euro; 150x200 cms., acrylic on canvas @ 18,800 euro)...Also showing is Mary Kuijperwho was formerly a ceramic artists. She had made a change and now does bronze pieces. You can till see ceramic influences in some works that look like they could be bowls, but she is also almost abstract with some works that look like a complicated birds' nest. They consist of hundreds of twig-like pieces piled together. (600 - 2,450 euro)  Until early November. www.morrengalleries.nl 
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At Galerie Lieve Hemel (Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 3) Francisco Roa shows what looks like hyper-realism with a tinge of impressionism. The work is all in colored pencil and there are other technical flourishes. His technique is meticulous. In a drawing of a mink/ferret you can count the hairs. Another work pictures a copse of trees and all in their individualist colors. His b/w is as alluring as the colored work and as mesmerizing. (17x35 cms., color pencil @ 1,600 euro; 40x30 cms., color pencil  @ 4,200  euro; 50x70 cms., color pencil @ 9,800 euro)....Erik van der Esch does realistic impressionistic work. The scenes are indeed realism but put your nose to the canvas and you see  the strokes of an impressionist brush. The imagery is sometimes surreal like a bird with the head of a woman. A painting of a group scene creates a present that is the past. Huh? Go look! (60x80 cms., oil on canvas @ 7,500 euro; 100x180 cms., @ 12,500 euro). Until __?__ www.lievehemel.nl 
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De Brakke Grond (Nes 45) features Ephameron (neé: Eva Cardon) who is an illustrator has selected, as a subject, her father while he was descending into the depths of dementia. She documents this sad and emotional evolution. Her style is unique. Part realistic and part geometric/abstract. She seems to use a collage element, however all work is framed with non-reflecting glass which makes it difficult to tell. Some works feature the father's hands; some are a "portrait" (conceptual style); and some just plain abstract. There are about 150 works arranged all on table tops (not good); and the tables are set up in a labyrinth pattern; three were in fact impossible to see. In addition, in another gallery, there are six artists that were asked to participate by "putting together their ideas about the theme of dementia." It is an interesting aside, but lacks both artistic and the emotional impact that her own work conveys so emphatically. Until 8th November. www.brakkegrond.nl 
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The new show's title at WANROOIJ GALLERY (Stadhouderskade 41) is "Martijn van Wenen" (Martin from Vienna). He titled the exhibition to reflect his admiration for Dutch art and especially that from the 17th century. His real name is Martin C. Herbst and he does most unusual work. But what is it he is doing? Sculpture or painting? Well, I guess, both. He takes a sheet of aluminium and shapes it chaotically or with a flowing rhythm like an ocean's wave. Then he paints a portrait on its surface. Actually, sometimes he does the painting before he does the reshaping of the metal. In the latter case, in the end, you see a reflection of the painting. He, says, "First, I am a painter." And you will see examples of his large female portraits' of ladies. One of the "ladies" is his daughter. He took photos of her at five years old and is still working with them and reinventing her. She is now 19. One of his artistic'  inspirations was Johannes Vermeer. You will see several examples of his homage to the master. Some are smaller works with the painting done on handmade paper. There are three large full-circle or half-circle metal balls with portraits painted on them; and they are backlit. Nice work! (22x30 cms., oil on handmade paper @ 4,400; 62x62x38 cms., oil paint on folded aluminium @ 14,000 euro; 125x200x63 cms., oil on curved mirrored Dibond @ 26,000 euro). Until January. www.wanrooijgallery.com 
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At the same gallery, the previous show was for Chritian Voigt. It has closed, but there are three or four examples still hanging: 

Christian Voigt (Ger) returns to WANROOIJ GALLERY with photography that is almost magical in that it makes the real more real. In his latest exhibition, at the gallery, he takes us to Chicago and an abandoned bank. He is most attracted to the rooms that held the safe deposit boxes. They have been eroded by water damage over the years. We see, in one photo, about 300 safe deposit boxes and one is the real door, a collage. Cool! He uses a customized Alpa (Swiss) camera. That's the starting point. After that, he makes several shots and overlaps the negatives and uses the analogue mixed with a little help from PhotoShop. It is a complicated procedure. (Very large format; 18,000 to 50,000 euro) Until __?__. www.wanrooijgallery.com 
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Frank E. Hollywood is a Dutchman. He is showing at Villa del Arte Gallery (Nieuw Spiegelstraat 38) with works that in many ways reflects his name. The canvases are a mix of painting and collage elements. It is verbose, colorful, assertive; and it all adds up to the painting having several focal points of imagery. First you see a "portrait", but it is surrounded---or almost absorbed---by an array of collage insertments. Comic strips and paper currency predominate. The work is busy; the eye is in constant motion. The results will either captivate you, make you think, or you'll just move on. However, he does have another series, in the show, which is the more traditional portrait work. He paints ladies showing the subject wearing the 17 century kraak. The furled neck piece worn formally by both men and women, at the time. But he makes it contemporary. One model is holding her iPhone; another is pointing an Uzi at you. (100x100 cms., Chromaluxe @ 1,950 euro) Until 29th November. www.villadelarte.com 
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Shedaz Dawood (UK) returns for his third solo exhibition at Galerie Gabriel Rolt. The liner notes say, "[He] takes his conceptual starting point from an imaginary letter that he likes to think that Schnitzer [Austrian playwright] might have written back to Freud." Okay. That's what it is all about....But what you see are two large walls works made from fabric and painted over in spots with both a figurative and abstract elements. There are also three very large neon wall pieces. Unfortunately, at the opening, one was still in the final construction faze. No price list. Until 14th Nove. www.gabrielrolt.com 
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At Galerie Oranjerie (Lijnbaansgracht 307) there are two artists showing. Terry Thomson is an artist that 3D has been following for over 25 years. Over that time there has been a constant evolutionary development in both style and technique. And his style is aging like a fine vintage wine. The conceptual abstract element is still present, but there are more classical reference to the Renaissance figurative which adds to the complexity of its imagery and its metaphysical overtones. A signed and numbered book is available at 35 euro. And what you get is a fold-out drawing that extends about 150 cms. (33x25 cms., mixed media @ 450 euro; 50x60 cms., mixed media @ 875 euro; 38x114 cms., mixed media @ 1,925 euro) ...Kevin Nieuwenhuijs does things differently. Well, he does everything differently! Nearly all the work is in a small format. And each work, as a result, is surprisingly complex in both technique and imagery. He paints, draws, sews and uses collage elements (cut-outs + embroidery). The results are often mesmerizing. He achieves visual imagery that ranges from the Cubistic to the Surreal. And now for the best part: The PRICES! (17x12,5 cms., acrylic + oil on paper @230 euro; 21x22 cms., collage @ 300 euro; 70x50 cms., charcoal + thread on paper @ 795.) Until 28th October. https://bit.ly/2MRWYdz 
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Rutger Brandt Gallery (Bethaniënstraat 39)  presents Alain Delorme (France). In a sense his work is all about the late 20th century and its destructive nature. He makes beautiful sky scape photos showing at their base cranes and industrial smokestacks. Next, he interjects what looks like an invasion of locust that darken the sky as they consume everything in their path. Alas, it isn't the insect, but 100,000+  plastic bags that you get at the supermarket. A strong environmental statement!(127x180 cms., ink jet on dibond, Ed 5 @ 6,500 to 12,000 euro; price depends on what the number of the editon it is). Until 7th November. www.brandtgallery.com 
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GRIMM presents a group show of six artists from five countries. Alex Dordoy (UK) is easy to overlook in this show of over sized works. He hangs four paintings---about 10x20 cms.---showing a humming bird upside down. Each bird is the same size and shape; what varies is the background...Alicja Kwade (Poland) is conceptual, very conceptual. She has taken a bicycle and pulverized it by individual parts. The dust, the size of a grain of sand, has been put into jars....Theis Wendt (Denmark) updates a series done by Frank Stella back in the 60s. That work was geometric abstract in parallelism and colorful. Wendt does away with the color and uses earth colors but maintains the same parallelism with an added nuance of wood grains. Next to these works are piles of dirt. It is offered as an installation or in separate pieces...."Come fly with me" could be the title for Nicholas Provost's (Bel) film. We soar through the sky following or leading a jet airliner. Shots against the sun are rather nice. There is a soundtrack, unfortunately, one couldn't hear it at the opening. Showing too are Lucy Skaer (UK)  and Adriano Amarai. Until 14th November. www.grimmgallery.com 
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What an original idea for an art exhibition! Mini Gallery (Kinkerstraat 12) shows contemporary LP and CD record' covers. Nothing new there, but what is nice is you see the original art work and the resulting commerical example. Some of the originals are WOW! Take Boris Tellegen's two collages for Sterac-The HypnoticusA/B (2014). What the originals have that the actual covers don't have is depth; almost 3D like structuring. Graphic Surgery---not to be outdone---presents another collage of weaved together---layer-over-layer---paper strips in black and yellow for 8 years FackwerkAtelier Bingo does cut-outs and fills in the black spaces with several layered geometric abstractions from paper for The Patriotic Sunday. And there is much more. Eight artists/graphic studios are represented. (50x70 cms., print, Ed 30 @ 70 euro; 16x16 cms., paper collage @ 550 euro; 31x31 cms., collage @ 680 euro; 31x32 cms., collage @ 2,200 euro). 3 RED DOTS. Until 7th November. www.minigalerie.nl 
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At Gerhard Hofland (Bilderdijkstraat 165) is the work of Joost Krijnen. He makes conceptual drawings sometimes accented with the figurative. Something about his works brings to mind Cy Twombly and it is the chaotic aspects of the compositions. He is also a minimalist and expresses much with a few lines. One work is a miniature installation. The background is a white canvas with a few charcoal strokes and it is fronted with plaster objects and wooden struts seated in a pile of sand. (28x21 cms., charcoal & color pencil on paper @ 1,200 euro; 170x230 cms., acrylic, colored pencil, charcoal, pencil, W/C and tape on MDF @ 6,000 euro) Until 7th November. www.gerhardhofland.com 
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Ger van Elk (1941-2014) died last year after a long, remarkable and trend-setting career. At BORZO (Keizersgracht 516) you will see examples of his last efforts as well as earlier works. He was an innovative artist and was quick to recognize the potential of new styles and materials, from conceptual photography to video works. An early work, Bana Brut (1988), at first appears to be a painting, but the liner notes describe it as "lacquer on a color photograph on aluminium." You could have fooled me! You know what split screen TV is, but how about split imagery photography? There are several examples that range from conceptual to a simple landscape. The photo, or photos, are divided and sometimes juxtaposed to each other, then placed between Plexiglas which has been cut in half. The two pieces are not joined together on a flat surface, but tilted away from the other. The way that the light captures the imagery is fractured. (122x174x40 cms., color photo between Plexiglas on aluminium @ 18,000 euro; 280x87cms., photo in two sections between Plexiglas @ 60,000 euro). Until 29th November. www.borzo.com 
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WALLS (Prinsengracht 737) is showing Sander Dekker's (NL) photographs which can be described as: whimsical, satirical, provocative, and sometimes very sensual without being provocative. He is sorta a street photographer. 3D says 'sort of' because sometimes he creates and poises the scene. Sometimes he does it with models and sometimes in the studio. Often the shot is improvised giving it that "capture of the moment" flavor. One photo emulates a scene from the film, Easy Rider. We see a man with a football helmet, on his head, with the Stars and Stripes on a field of blue like the American flag. The man is tearing at his jacket to open it and it is like Clark Kent morphing into Superman and all the while clutching a high caliber bullet in his teeth. How American can you get? A b/w photo of a dancer dancing with her shadow stands out. Don't miss the shark in a bathtub with a woman's derriere sticking above the waterline; and there are two examples. One is the actual photograph and the other is the same imagery as an object and dimentional. An example of a "poised street photograph" might be the shot where we see a woman in a skin tight silvery lime green dress---with deep cleavage---sitting next to a Mafia-like figure, in his Roll Royce, smoking a cigar. He discovered both "models" the day before and suggested making a photo and the Mafia-like character said, "I have just the dress for her!" Until 8th November. https://bit.ly/2LRAexM 
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...And more photos at VASSSIE (Langestraat 47) with the work of Marcus Davies (UK) who shows five distinctive styles he has developed over the last 25 years. Animals: well, it is vague imagery where he uses light and contrast---positive and negative---as well as shaded. In another series he uses rubber tubes like those for a bicycle; he drops them unto a white surface and captures them as they hit the ground. The imagery is an abstract linear form. Simple, but complex at the same time. Then there are the marbles. Conceptual geometric abstract in vibrant and various colors. The combination of forms are almost free style. Harmonious in their compositions. (4 snapshot sized photos, signed, Ed 20 @ 350 euro; 42x58 cms., archival pigment print @ 750 euro; 42x50 cms., hand made printed silver gelatin @ 1,200 euro)  Until __?__  http://www.galleryvassie.com/
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KYAS Art Salon (Keizersgrachtr 221) is a new gallery, less than a year old. The current show features two Amsterdam' artists who have been on the scene for about 30 years: Gabrïel Kousbroek and Rene van Asselt. They show here as a duo like, maybe, Gilbert and George, but with a difference. Each does his own painting but by working in tandem they are influenced by the other. The style is comic strip-like but with nuances not acquainted with the style. There is both depth and contrast. The work with a baby and a skeleton is a good example. The background is an array of blues ranging from sky-blue to cobalt. The skeleton looks almost like an X-Ray photo with its defining shades. The imagery ranges from the whimsical to the provocative to flowers to a cobra and fruit. The technique is "digital drawing/digital print" and all are unique. (45x45cms., print, Ed 50 @ 250 euro; 110x110 cms., unique, 1,500 euro)  Until __?__  www.kyasartsalon.com 
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Martina Klein, at SLEWE (Kerkstraat 105),  makes plywood rectangular boxes (about 100 to 160 cms., high) but leaves both ends open. She inserts a monochromatic painting inside. You must view it at an angle from one of the open sides. (79x80x32 cms., oil painting, cotton, wood board @ 16,000 euro; 157x83x32 cms., oil paint, cotton wood board @ 23,500 euro). Until 21 November. www.slewe.nl 
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...And a few doors down is BMB with the work of Ludo Winkelman whose style is his own and with mixed techniques. Some works are pure abstractions and some are figurative abstractions. The latter style has surreal elements as well. Two large works (260x160 cms.) are in several shades of blue from sky to cobalt; and they are textured adding to the depth perception. Both are portraits, but in one you need distance to see it as such. There are seven monochromatic white works (30x30 cms.) but they won't be monochromatic for long. He will---over the duration of the exhibition---draw on each or turn them into collages. "Nightshift" is the title of 20 small works (17x17 cms.) and sold as one. Some of the work has humor. (14x19 cms., as drawing @ 100 euro; as collage @ 200 euro; 69x61 cms., oil on paper @ 950 euro; 125x145 cms., oil on canvas @ 3,500 euro; 260x160 cms., wax and wood @ 11,000 euro). 3 RED DOTS at opening. Until 7th November. www.galeriebmb.nl 
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At Stigter van Doesburg (Elandstraat 90) is an exhibition for Daniel van Straalen who presents us with a mixed show of styles and techniques. There is a minimalistic neon work, a sculptured fluorescent light object and works made of plaster. Four paintings are minimal abstractions and with a mysterious quality. "Thinking sucks" is cartoonish and, while figurative, it is also an abstraction. Sorta reminiscent of Donald Trump and his hairpiece. Well, yeah, but you gotta see it! (9x15x9 plastic sculpture laser pen @ 2,000 euro; 180x140 cms, digital print on cotton @ 4,500 euro; 253x300 cms., installation of neon light @ 5,500 euro; 3x196x96cms., steel, car spray paint, stickers as a triptych @ 6,500 euro) Until 21st November. www.stigtervandoesburg.com 
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Next door is the Le Plafond Galerie (Hazenstraat 28) with the conceptual work of Marinus Boezem who has transformed the front gallery space "into a temple, or a podium for contemporary art."  What you see is masking tape which has been used to create the shape of a Greek column with a cornice at the top. Simple and visually to the point of being nearly subliminal. No price list. Until 21st November. www.leplafond.weebly.com 
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A review that wasn't! 3D had an invitation for the latest show for Diana Blok. I have been viewing her work for 20 years. When I walked into the gallery, I was surprised to see large color photographs. She is noted for her b/w work. I reached for paper so I could take notes. Oops! Forgot paper! I went to the desk and found an A4 description, of the show, in Bloc's own words; the backside was blank, perfect for doing the notes. I asked the gallerist if I could take one from the stack, "One euro!" was the answer. Oops, again! Sure one euro isn't much, but why should I have to pay the gallery to promote them? No one pays me! It's the principle of the thing! So I asked for a "blank sheet of paper." "Nee!" was the answer. So be it! Basically, in a nut shell, and without notes, I can say this: Bloc's theme is about gays and lesbians. In the back gallery there was the work of Lydia Schouten, however it is complicated photography and without notes there is little I can say. Pity!
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Ornis A. Gallery (Hazenstraat 11) shows Marliz Frencken who paints figurative expressionistic works which have several influences from the COBRA group to Picasso's Cubism. Everything is very colorful and, well, expressive. The subjects are all women. She also shows clay sculpture and resin pieces. They lean toward the figurative with a strong abstract influence. (80x60 cms., oil and spray paint on canvas @ 4,200 euro; 180x120 cms., oil, spray paint on canvas @ 9,000 euro; sculpture pieces: Small at 4,000, medium @ 7,500; and large @ 10,000 euro). Until 21st November. www.ornisgallery.com 
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Wim Claessen returns again to Galerie Roger Katwijk (Lange Leidsedwarsstraat 198) with his iconic landscapes, views of polders and seascapes. He is not a colorist preferring soft blues, grays and even black. But it works! And there is a minimalist quality that is appealing. (50x70 cms., acrylic on canvas@ 2,400 euro; 120x170 cms., acrylic on canvas @ 5,800 euro)...showing with him is Heny van der Meer who shapes steel rods into tree branches and convincingly so. At first you see the work as geometric abstractions and slowly you begin to appreciate the complexity of the interwoven steel rods and how it renders accurately the branches of a tree. (50x30x12 cms., steel @ 2,800 euro; 50x150x12 cms., steel  @ 7,200 euro; 130x60x20 cms., steel @ 14,000 euro). Until 14th November. www.galerierogerkatwijk.nl
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Reuten Galerie (Prinsengracht 510)  shows Lynne Leegte who titles her show "Leaves." But not what you see on trees but book leaves. And what a nice show! She expresses the theme in several ways: photography, marble, objects and there is a table setting or is it an installation? Then there is a photograph that pays homage to Johannes Veermer with its haunting light streaming through a window spotlighting a section of the room. (65.5x44 cms., Ed. 4@ 1,400 euro; 75x115 cms., Ed 3 @ 4,200 euro; 14x24x20 cms., marble @ 5,000 euro)  Until 21st November. https://www.reutengalerie.com/ 
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Well, indulge yourself in art work as mixed media. For sure many of the pieces at Rento Brattinga Galerie (Lauriergract 80) are indeed from a mixed media technique but the rest of the works are truly a mix of several style and techniques. Nine artists---Anuli Croon, Anne van Eck, Maarten Janssen, Johan Kleinjan, Ton Kraayeveld, Bertjan Pot, Tonio de Roover, Barbara Witteveen and Ali V.N.---present conceptual art, sculpture, objects, ceramic, painting, drawing, prints and collages. A little of everything. Hard to single out any one artist or even three of four. They all standout! However, a wall with 32 ceramics hanging is noteworthy since each piece could be used as a model for an illustration for a Hans Christian Anderson' fairy tale. No price list. Until 21st November www.rentobrattinga.com 
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Sanne Kuiper is at ArtACasa (Kerkstraat 411) back with her whimsical cartoonish paintings. She places people into groups and often adds a sense of motion. The work is colorful, but in mild soft pastels. If you like smiley faces you'll find happiness in her work. 3 RED DOTS. (260, 450, 950 euro)...Showing, too, is Gineke Zinnen and you can expect to see landscapes, seascapes and Amsterdam scenes. The technique is a mix if impressionism/expressionism with geometric abstract overtones. That is her approach is to capture the colors then express them with the bold strokes of an expressionist. The result is as much a linear abstraction as it is realistic. (170, 325 and 1,350 euro). Until 10th November. www.artacasa.nl 
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At AKINCI (Lijnbaansgracht 317) are the paintings of Ulf Puder (Ger) whose work could be described as geometric abstraction meets realism with the brush strokes of an expressionist. The images are simple buildings; rectangular forms. Some views have been constructed as if the subject matter had gone through an earthquake or devastating hurricane. His light is special and while underplayed it is always assertive. (50x50 cms.m, oil on canvas @ 5,500 euro; 80x100 cms., oil on canvas @ 10,600 euro; 100x140 cms., oil on canvas @ 14,500 euro)....In the small gallery is the work of Moyna Flannigan who paints in oil on linen. The imagery relates to the surreal and the pieces have  dark overtones. (30x40 cm.s, pil on linen, @ 4,800 euro; 45x60 cms., oil on linen @ 6,400 euro). Until 21st November. www.akinci.nl 
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...And a few doors away is LUMEN TRAVO (Lijnbaansgracht 314) hanging the work of Ani Eloyan. First there was the comic strip; next came the graphic novel. The watercolors hanging from the walls incorporates these style elements and their technique brought together with her own vision. Colorful? Very! Provocative? Well, all the work features the female nude. And no two are the same. Expect to be entertained with her humor and perspective on life. Paintings on paper with collage segments. (60x40 cms., @ 1,400 euro; 70x50 cms., @ 1,800 euro) Until 21st November. https://www.lumentravo.nl/wp/
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...And next door is FLATLAND GALLERY (Lijnbaansgracht 314) with Anoek Steketee and there is no one thing that she photographs. You will see trees---but unlike any previous tree photos you have seen---several full size portraits, plus animals---from white lions to zebras---and an old style cassette player/radio combination. There are also three photos of shirts on hangers. All her work is in color. (35x35 cms., C-print, Ed. 5 @ 1,500 euro; 80x60 cms., C-print, Ed 5 @ 4,000; 120x160 cms., C-print, Ed 5 @ 7,500 euro). Untill 19th December. http://www.flatlandgallery.com/ 
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Marijn van Kreij is showing at "andriesse & eyck" (Leliegracht 47). He is a conceptualist who likes to express himself in many forms. One element is humor. There are several one-box cartoons with captions. But sometimes you can't be sure as to what the focal point is; is it a drawing, a picture or is it the typography of words? He says, "The works are kinds of collages composed out of colored sheets of paper that form the 'background' on which images and pieces of texts are placed. In reality there is no real foreground or backgound as everything is cut out and glued 'in' to each other, thereby appearing on one plane." He adds collage segments as a nuance. (30x21 collage, book clipping, ink jet on paper & drawing paper @ 1,900 euro; 36x26 cms., collage, exhibition poster, paper bag & colored paper @ 4,300 euro) Until 5th December. www.andriesse-eyck.com
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Galerie Bart (Elandsgracht 16) introduces 11 graduates of Dutch art academies and outstanding young artists. You will see an eclectic mix of styles and techniques: Conceptual to realism. There are drawings, paintings, objects, sculpture and light pieces as well as the undefined. 3D liked the duck that was water surfing. There was a competition to select the best with two prizes. The duo Karl Hedin and August Ranelid won for their 23 minute video; and Wouter van der Laan for his painting. Until 5th December. www.galeriebart.nl 
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The duo Les Deux Garcons (neé: Michel Vanderheijden van Tinteren and Roel Mooned) is at JASKI for their sixth show since 2008. This time they appeared together in an opening performance. Each man was clothed, from the tip of their heads to their shoes, in black. The music was from the minimalist Steve Reich, Music for 18 musicians, and they accented it with their own "sounds." They each stood at one side of a two meter high stuffed bear hanging from the wall like it was suspended from a crucifix. 

As to the their exhibition---as readers' of this list will know---they are contemporary taxidermist. This craft has been around for over 4,000 years, but the duo has raised it to an art. In this current manifestation they introduce a bit more humor like the swan asleep on a skateboard. There are small ceramic works, too. Don't miss the small white haired dog staring at itself in a 19th century-style mirror. Then there is the small squirrel lounging in a soup turrine like it was a bathtub. But, beware, some of the humor is a bit morbid. They have had 15 exhibitions at Dutch museums. (28 cm., diameter, mixed media @ 2,600 euro; 35x35x30 mixed media, @ 6,800 euro; 190x155x70 cms., mixed media @ 38,000 euro) 5 RED DOTS at opening. www.jaski.nl

(N.B.) You can read what high school students thought of one of the duos earlier shows at: https://bit.ly/2QkyKLl 
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Galerie Oranjerie (Lijnbaansgracht 307) is showing Michael Berkhemer who works with wood. And he has a favorite type of wood: American poplar. The style is geometric abstraction, but from the minimalist point of view. A simple linear pieces is 270 cms., x 20 sm., and it is intersected at the middle with three groved interventions. A triptych of three wood pieces look like an elongated American football. They are from wood with good leaf and graphite. And there are a few paintings. Again, they are geometric abstractions and painted with acrylic on linen. (60x50 cms., acrylic on linen @ 1,050 euro; 240x15x3 cms., acrylic on wood @ 2,850 euro; 220x100 cms., acrylic on linen @ 5,400 euro)  Until 25th November. https://bit.ly/2MRWYdz 
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The new jewelry gallery Rob Koudijs (Elandsgract 12) welcomes back Ruud Peters with new styled work made from ceramic and leather. His theme is the human foot. Some of the feet are hanging on a leather strap and designed as a necklace. He has also grouped smaller feet into necklaces. Some are porcelain or alabaster. In the front section of the gallery is sort of a retro overview of his ouevre. He had taken pieces going back to 1976 and proceeds to 2011. However, he reinvents each work by adding several layers of gold leaf; blow on anyone of them and gold flecks fill the air. (10x10x30 cms., brooch, 1976, silver-gold leaf @ 900 euro; 5.5.4.5 cms., brooch, silver-onyx-gold leaf @ 3,400 euro; 8x5x5 cms., pendant goose egg shaped, brass and gold leaf @ 2,200 euro) Until __?__. www.galerierobkoudijs.nl 
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PETIT (N.Z. Voorburgwal 270) has a group show of mixed styles by four artists. Mira den Hartog does very subtle etchings. They are all in b/w and the imagery is so faint you must get your nose up to the glass to see  that the subject matter is the classic nude. (190-270 euro)....Baukje de Loos does oil on panel. There is a surreal type of imagery, but the color could have come from the German Expressionist. (875-1,250 euro)....Petra Tolboom is an etcher working in color. She focuses on landscapes and keeps the colors soft and never over powering. There is the sense of impressionism in how she realizes her imagery. 3 RED DOTS at opening. (185-300 euro)....Fiona Zondervan does both bronze and marble sculpture. The subject matter focuses on predatory and scavenger birds like hawks. (Stone @ 1,200 euro; Marble @ 1,900 euro; Bronze, Ed 3 @ 4,900) Until 5th December. https://bit.ly/2MlNQlc 
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Jeanette Bos showed her b/w photography at Galerie Diderot13d (Diderot 13d). She combines different elements of styles such as motion photography and using reflections via windows to capture rather conceptual scenes. She says, "It is about being uncertain of what you are seeing". The contrast is special. It is in sharp contrast to reality and turns reality into an emotional view of the world around us. Oops! Forgot to check the price list. Unfortunately, it wasn't an opening but a finesage. www.jeanettebos@zenfolio   https://bit.ly/2InDHQE 
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Gallery PR2 has moved to a new location: Oudezijds Voorburgwal 97A and the first exhibition is for Natalia Dik(Rus/NL). She is basically an impressionistic/expressionistic painter. Her speciality is the portrait and you will see several examples in this show. But she also does seascapes, landscapes, interior scenes, flowers, etc. Her colors are soft and they never overpower the imagery. She has had shows in New York, China, Russia as well as various European cities. (300, 375, 475, 1,450 and 3,300 euro) Until __?__  www.gallery-pr2.eu 
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The summer was not very impressive if you talk about the weather---and everyone was! However, the autumn is like a picture-perfect calendar. Warm and sunny days and very little rain. What a great time to be on and about the city of Amsterdam. Take advantage of the friendly climate and walk or bike to a gallery near you. There are always surprises enough to take away your breath. 

Photo: Christian Voigt at Wanrooij Gallery

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