The 3d List week 38 by Daniel R. Gould. Amsterdam art and galleries

By Daniel R. Gould

Well, the feedback from those who have---and some who have not---viewed the film "I LOVE ART" is reaching 3D. Someone sent me a copy of the article that appeared in the NRC Handelsblad by Dirk Limburg (Saturday, 31st May). Another person voiced how irate he was with what the reporter had said. Last week, I made no reference to it since I was not able to read it in the Dutch. A few days later someone would translate it for me and while I thought he had said things that were not accurate or commented on that which he did not fully understand, I considered it to be his view and interpretation of what he had seen on the big screen. So, what I propose is that the readers of this list decide for themselves. You have that opportunity, this Friday, at Arti et Amicitiae. There will be three showings; reservations are required and I have been told that there are few seats still available. Hey, that means the word is on the street that there is something to be seen in this documentary. It should be pointed out that the NRC article really didn't review the film nor did it discuss the directors ability to convey a rather complex story. Instead, it focused on 3D. Hey, folks, that's akin to reviewing "Citizen Kane" and voicing your opinion of the man Kane from the film story and never mentioning Orson Welles. More info: www.arti.nl Reservations: arti@arti.nl The 21:00 showing is fully booked.

INDEX:

Bits & Pieces:

Art Space: W139; Tibet Art Now.

What You Missed Last Week:

What Is Happening This Week:

BITS & PIECES:

3D doesn't discriminate. He is often critisized---an especially by the well established galleries---as someone who goes eveywhere. Guilty! And I make no excuses. You don't KNOW, if you don't GO is his motto and the message that I try to convey week-after-week. I have seen bad shows at avant gardé galleries and great exhibitions at the artist-pays-to-show galleries. Since Amsterdam has such a huge number of people that are culturally sophisticated---or who assume that they are---"art" is something you can see in a diverse cross section of venues: hair cutting salons to shoe repair shops. One current favorite space for 3D is a clothing boutique called Carhartt Streetweat Amsterdam. The emphasis is on "street-art" which now has a wide definition. The review of their new show follows later in this week's list. What 3D wants to draw attention to here is, well, a couple of things.

Last fall, during the American political campaign for the presidency, 3D mentioned an article concerning Sarah Palin---McCain's running mate---and a speech she had made at Wilkes-Berrie Pennsylvania. She came on stage in a mini-skirt and knee high laced boots. It said the crowd was made up of her followers dressed in Carhartt's "fashion" line. For those not familiar with this brand it is an interesting story about an American product that is being perceived differently in different markets. This "fashion" company is located in Dearborn Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, and it is the hometown of the Ford Motor Company. An unlikey location for a company in the fashion industry to be located at. But there are reasons. The clothing line, as it was originally designed, is meant for the "working person." And this was Palin's audience.

A German company, a few years back, obtained a license to market the brand in Europe. They saw that it could be a "fashion statement" for the young and street hip of Europe. To reinforce this image, the Düsseldorf company created a magazine that is distributed FREE through their stores in 28 European cities and seven Asian ones. The title is "RUGGED" which is the impetus behind the Carhartt' design philosophy. It is a good magazine if only for the layout which is smart, hip and surprisingly chic in a youth-minded way. It is also packed with interesting information and articles. On example of the latter is the current issue's article on Mata Hari, an infamous Dutch lady from the early 20th century. Another article tells the history of "Mikosa" a little hand-made magazine that the 3D List has reviewed with each new number. "After six editions so far, the magazine has advanced into a respected mouth piece of young graphic designers, graffiti artists and design talents worldwide," according to the article.

The section "Lost & Found" is filled with interesting tid-bits like that concerning the new Minimo ( "A digital camera the size of a match box...you can always have it on you and every child can use it") that offers "charms" not equalled by your mobile camera. myminimo.blogspot.com A book review that should be of interest to graphic designers is "IRON FISTS: Branding the 20th-century Totalitarian State," (Phaidon, ISBN: 978-0714848464). "The book, by Heller (the review does not list his first name)...is an illustrated survey of the propaganda art created by the totalitarian governments of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, the USSR, and Communist China. Focussing on graphic materials such as logos, posters and advertisements, Heller explores the meaning of colour systems, the development of regime-specific typefaces, and even the slogans used to both rally and terrorize the populace." And more for the graphic artist is a review of the book "Pixacao," by Francois Chastenet (Gingko Press, ISBN: 978-3952809716). "Pixacoes is Brazilian for tags...At first glance these tags look a bit random and not very well crafted. But at closer examination the beauty and power of the seemingly archaic works is obvious and they actually come across like a new calligraphic language...This book is the pictorial documentation of a very physical and exciting graphic universe." Even RUGGED's adverts have a value for an artist. On page 23 is an ad for Molotow's "ONE4ALL High-Solid Premium Paint-Marker with the unique acrylic-based hybrid-paint." The tag line is: "not just ink - really thick paint!"

Again, FREE at Carhartt Streetwear Amsterdam (Hartenstraat 18). www.carhartt-streetwear.com.

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What you see isn't always what you think you see. "Smile and say 'No Photoshop,'" by Eric Wilson (27th May: www.nytimes.com) takes the "reality" of fashion photography today in spotlighting "...egregious cases of Photoshop abuse...."

A photographer, Peter Lindbergh, is quoted as saying, "My feeling is that for years now it has taken a much too big part in how women are being visually defined today...Heartless retouching...Should not be the chosen tool to represent women in the beginning of the century." Well, Hollywood started the trend with their PR stills of silent film stars and continued doing well into the 60s. And Europe is no aesthetic stranger to this deception. Bridget Bardot is reported to have badly pock-marked skin, the result of scars left from acne, but you never see it in her photos. In earlier days we refered to the practice as "airbrushing."

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The new edition of VERSAL #7 (an Amsterdam published literary magazine) is now available at Atheneum and the American Book Center (both at the Spui) and The English Bookshop (Bloemgracht and Hazenstraat). www.versal.wordsinhere.com

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LUX Photo Gallery's space at Het Sieraad building (Postjeweg 1) is available for rental for the month of August for an artist's solo or an artists' group show exhibition. e-mail: boering@luxphotogallery.com

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WORKSHOP/MUSIC: "STEIM will host five workshops on sound programming with various software environments," between 15th and 30th June. More info: steim.org/workshops/

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WORKSHOPS/FASHION? Mediamatic BANK presents workshops under the title "MAKE electro-clothing." "Make your shirt beep when people touch you, or yell back at you when you scream. Make your pants light up in the dark or your sleeves blink when you wave your arms." There are three workshops scheduled: from 13-17:00 hours each day, "Sound Clothing," June 13th; "Light Sight Clothing," June 16th; and "Touch Sensitive Clothing," June 17th. The cost for each is 25 euro and that includes the electronic-kit that does it all. NO web-site address on annoucement...but, that's Mediamatic. You must make reservations.

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PHOTOGRAPHERS: "Canon EOS5D Mark II, is a new SLR digital camera that also shoots high definition video...The technical quality, even at 3200 ISO, is extraordinary." From an article at: www.nytimes, titled "Showcase: A Photographer Embraces Video," by James Estrin. (9th June.)

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...And the winner is...Nicoline van Harskamp for the "PrixeRome, 2009" award. With the honor goes a 45,000 euro prize. Hey, that's real spending money. The runner-ups: Rossella Biscotti, Sara Rajari and an artists duo, Olafur Olafsson and Libia Castro.

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For those of you not familiar with the work of John Wesley (American, 80 years old) there is an article at www.nytimes.com (8th June) by Randy Kennedy, titled "Pop and Rocco Meet and Greet" which is a very good overview of this American painter. The critic, Dave Hickey, in "an ecstatic essay in 2000, said that Wesley "...lack of prominence among great postwar painters [can be explained this way]: 'Those who know know; those who care care; those who don't know or care don't have a clue, but that's O.K., too.'" Wesley has just opened a major restrospective exhibition of 150 of his works at the Venice Biennale which runs through the 4th of October. For readers in Amsterdam it is note worthy to mention that his second wife, Jo Baer, lives and works in Amsterdam; and can been seen, often, running in Vondel Park.

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The American legislative system is confusing to Europeans, not to mention, a significant percentage of Americans. President Obama recently signed a credit card reform bill that included a clause "allowing visitors to national parks to carry concealed weapons." This was at the behest of the all too powerful NRA (National Rifle Association).

What is constantly overlooked, by my fellow Americans in this wild west mentality, is that "...guns are a significant social problem. The second leading cause of injury-related deaths in the U.S. behind car accidents. In 1997, for example, guns caused 64,207 injuries and 32,436 deaths." That would be equivelent to 4,054 killings, by guns, in the Netherlands, as determined by the ratio to population. There are more than 200,000,000 guns privately owned guns n the USofA (the figure does NOT include weapons possessed by the military).

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Trivia: The book "Kitchen Confidential" (published in 2000), by Anthony Bourdain, a highly successful chef, has sold over 1,000,000 copies. It was noted, at the time of publication, as "...an honest and unflinching look at the behind-the-scenes world of the professional kitchen." 3D just thought you would like to know.

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Works of wisdom as recorded on a T-shirt: "In Jeans We Trust."

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ART SPACE: W139

WOW! WOW!! WOW!!! As reported, on the 3D List, sometime during the last six months, W139 is back with all the surprises and spectacular exhibitions that made the space one of 3Ds' favorites during the 80s and early 90s. If you were not at the opening this is a case of your lucking out. 3D arrived at the very beginning, 21:00 and the space was mostly empty. And that is the ONLY way to see this installation. The main gallery, of W139, is very large and very high; about 5 meters or so. In a sense, the artist, Bernd Trasberger, has turned this space into a "meat market" or as another person described it, "A big toilet room." These descriptions come from the fact that the floor and walls have been painted with the same white paint and then segmented with black tape into squares that resemble the tiles on the walls of meat markets or toilet spaces. He has then added "touches" like an "island" with plants; there is a "rainbow" fashioned from neon lights; and a large cut-out of a 1958 Plymouth (the car featured in Stephen King's novel and, later, the movie, "Christine"). Finally, on the largest wall, there is a series of "cubes" (seven rows with 16 across) which are see-through thus picking up the b/w tape patterns and each looking like a Mondrian linear abstract and others have big "x's" or a brass square decorating the empty space part. Folks, you gotta see it! Until ___?___. www.w139.nl

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The Temple Gallery (Prins Hendrikkade 20-21) sponsors a show titled "Tibet Art Now: On The Treshold of a New Future" with 11 Tibetan artists living in exile in various countries. The first reaction one has, when they hear about an exhibition for a artists from a country like Tibet, is that you will see traditional styles of art. True and not true! Indeed, there are examples of what we expect from this mountain country including a photo of yaks against a mountain vista, but there are examples of contemporary and western styles of art---the latter is now global---print work and phtography, most notably. One piece, in particular, is worth mentioning. It is by Gonkas Gyatso (living in UK) and is a "collage" which was fabricated---I assume with a software program---scanned and printed as a silkscreen. It features typography from the Roman alphabet to Asian calligraphy and ideographs.Incredibly intricate and divided into four sections each measuring 90x100 cms. There are two viewing areas; one is through the bookshop, and at its back, and the other in an upstairs gallery accessed from another entrance. Until 6th July. www.tibetartmovement.com.

WHAT YOU MISSED LAST WEEK:

Thursday:

At the Museumplein and in the water pond there is a photographic exhibition but probably unlike any that you have seen. It is unusual in the way that the photos are being presented. You get it two ways: as representational and as abstraction. The design of the arragement of these eight individual photos of Vondel Park, Central Station, Nemo, the Albert Cuyp, et al., is that each photo appears as it was taken, but it is "arranged" in such away that there is also an abstract version of it depending on the angle from which you are looking at it. There are two 11+ meter long and 2.5 meter high sections with the photo show on both sides. The work is by a Danish artist, Peter Funch.

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"witzenhausen GALLERY" (Hazenstraat 60) is showing three artists who draw on paper. Chiaki Kamikawi draws "stories" that appear to tell a story. But the stories have a weird edge to them. There is something grotesque in the imagery of the players. (66x50 cms., pencil on paper @ 450 euro.)...Enrique Marty titles his 20 watercolors an "Album Series." This comes from the fact that he has apparently used old family photos of his parents. All in b/w. (23x23.5 cms., 1,000 euro/piece or the complete series for 16,000 euro.)...Roland Sohier draws figurative---and strange---pictures that are half in color and half in b/w pencil. Not really sure what they are about, but they do get your attention. (100x80 cms., pencil + color pencil @ 2,000 euro.) It was also a book presentation for this artist. The book, "Roland Sohier and the Pleasure of Drawing," is encased in a box and includes and original drawing. Damn, forgot to check the price. Until 4th July. www...no address on invite.

Friday:

A Brazilian painter showed at Chellerie last weekend. Marcella Maderia paints in the style of an abstract/expressionist but, sometimes, with a few add ons. She emphasizes that the paint she uses is "industrial acrylic." She likes its liquidity; it "runs better down the canvas than the artists' variety," she says. The colors reflect the color chart and linearly they are evocative of the bar-codes seen on products. She also incorporates stickers, wallpaper and cut-outs into the paintings. www.marcellamadeira.blogspot.com

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At the Amstelkerk, Frans Plantema (Indonesia) hangs paintings, drawings and etches. His paintings reflect, in a positive way, certain elements of style as seen in the work of Dali and De Chirico. Heavy on symbolism and also colorful in execution with an element of fantasy thrown in. But it is his etches that gets your attention. Excellent b/w contrast that have, at times, an Escher qualitity. His drawings are on equal footing with the etches and, again, like the paintings, they have much symbolism. No web-site address available; nor does the "price list" list any prices. Strange.

Cornelia Nauta is a photographer working in both b/w and color. She sometimes poses her subjects formally and evven when they are at "leisure" and seen in a cafe. The color photos feature females exclusively. She takes an image of her subject and reproduces it twice in the same print like a mirror image. (450 to 900 euro.) www.cornelianauta.net Until __?__.

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Carhartt Streetwear Amsterdam (Hartenstraat 18). The title "Cerealiscious:Madness" is an apt title for this wild exuberance of art meets Madison Avenue and lives to tell the story....Sjoco Sjon has a logo/cliche image design which is always featured in his work. It doesn't appear to be a human form but more of an unidentified ET from a distant planet and another time and dimension. From piece-to-piece, he redefines this image by using different colors. One piece is a trip-tych that emulates The Last Supper, of all things, but in a very contemporary if not avant gardé style. There is an installation that defines the exhibition's title and it is embellished with corn flakes. Yeah, the crispy stuff you eat in the morning. It covers the "1,000 kg" box (about 150+ cms high) that is labeled, what else, "Cerealiscious: Just 100% Pure Madness." (175 to 2,000 euro, average price, 250 euro.) Until __?__. www.carhartt-streetwear.com, www.sjocosjon.com

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Saturday:

The gallery named "Gertrud D" (Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 33), 3D has been told, is owned by a Dutch actress and artist who makes use of the space to spotlight her own artistic efforts. 3D often bikes down the street and looks inside and last week he noticed something different on the walls, so he stopped to investigate. It turned out that the gallery has mounted a show for two artists that work together. Pal Sarkozy and Werner Hornung collarborate in a most unsual way...but, I'm getting ahead of the story.

3D stood staring at the first painting he came to and I saw---more correctly---he felt something was off. The colors are bright and pleasing...but....I got my nose up to the canvas and only then could see what looked like pixel "edges." I asked the person, sitting at the desk, if these were copies. The answer was, "Yes." In the upper gallery, I saw a series of drawings and one was next to a "painting" that seemed to have been inspired by the drawing. Well, as I compared lines I saw that the canvas image had been scanned from the b/w drawing and then "enhanced" with both colors and additional imagery. The person at the desk would acknowledge that one of the artist makes the drawing and the other operates the software program that "finishes" the work. As to the imagery, well, it is figurative, surrealistic, expressionistic, impressionistic, symbolic...what did I leave out? The title show says it all, "Entente Subtitle: Digital Fine Art." (130x89 cms., ed. 6. Sorry, forgot to ask the prices.) Until ___?___. www.gertruddgalleries.com Footnote: There is a very well illustrated catalog available for the show, but strangely enough it is ONLY in Dutch. Considering the the N. Spiegelstraat is a Mecca for the well-healed visitors, to this city, and the fact that Van Lanschot Bankers sponsored its production, this is surprising.)

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Artists are all trying to find new ways to approach the creation of "art." At Van Zijll Langhout Exposities (Brouwersgracht 161), Arnout Killian and David Powell has done something entirely new to the best of 3Ds' knowledge. On show are portraits and self portraits, but you would probably not recognize the featured subjects even if you knew them. Each artist painted half a canvas and half a face on their assigned portion of the canvas and it was covered. The other artist then painted the remaining half. The result? Well, that is something that you must determine for yourself whether this unique approach is successful or not. 3D will state categorically that there is much tension in each of the six examples. (55x45 cms., @ 500 euro; or ALL six for 2,000 euro.) Until ___?___ www.vanzijlllangout.nl

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Galerie Witteveen (Keizersgracht 538) is showing Wout Herfkens work which to 3Ds' mind are "objects" as opposed to being "sculptures." Some of the work is in ceramic, some are ceramic and plexi-glas and a few are mixed media with a lot of different elements. Of the latter category, there is a 50 cms., high piece made with hundreds of small plastic animals that are kid's toys. It is titled "Pieta" (a50x55x8 cms., @ 2,970 euro, plastic, children's toys, pop[sic]) Another work titled "Monumnet van het celibaat" consists of hundreds clay flaccid penises, stacked side-by-side between layers of plexi-glas, is well named. Smaller pieces are even more whimsical. (12.5x5.5x8 cms., wood, pigment, acyrlic, glue, plastic @ 425 euro.)...Rinke Nijburg hangs very large drawings along with a small variety of the same. A few of the smaller ones are mixed-media that combine both a b/w etching into the imagery. A drawing has been added and the imagery ranges from the human figurative to the Hindu Ganesh (looks like an elephant). Typography is also a feature in much of the work. The large drawings are anatomical representations of the human back as seen from that perspective. Some of the subjects have tattoo like designs of Christ or, again, the Ganesh. (153x150 cms., charcoal, pastel on paper @ 6,185.63 euro [sic]; 30.3x46.5 cms., watercolor, ball point and pencil @ 1,429.09 euro.[sic]) Until 11th July. www.galeriewitteveen.nl

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Well, "The dream of Peter Funch...[is] The public space where [he] creates [his] image forms [in] the context in which people 'are.'" And he did a lotta that last week in an around the city's center. There was an "interactive" manifestation at Central Station and the photo exhibition at the Museumplein (reviewed above). And more. Two events at the participating gallery Ron Mondos (Prinsengracht 282) included a lecture and an exhibition of photographs from the series "Babel Tales." There is a song titled "Streets of New York" and, as I recall, it was written during the 1920s by Jimmy Walker who then was mayor of New York. Funch's has done his version of this song in photogaphs. He captures the jostling street crowds of the Big Apple and all its players in ways that are sometimes dramatic and sometimes just humorous like the one where about 10 people are all yawning in unisons. Probably they were watching a rerun of a George W. Bush speech. (150x30 cms., digital C-print or pigment print. Ed. 4 @ 3,800 euro.) www.dreamamsterdam.nl

Arthur Kleinjan shares the space with his "INSIGHT OUT," which consists photos that capture the melancholy of the city scape. Also there is a video titled "Sightseeing" that follows a tourist's bus along its meandering journey through the streets of London and Berlin. There are ear phones available with plasant traveling music to ease the pain of the annoying automobile fumes which you can almost smell. (Endura print, 110x115 cms., Ed. 5+2 AP @ 2,450 euro; Video, Ed. 5+ 2 AP @ 5,500 euro.) Until 11th July. The official opening of this exhibition is on 20th June. www.ronmandos.nl

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Ad Gerritsen is back at Wetering Galerie (Lijnbaansgracht 288) with oversized mixed media on paper work. Saddam Hussein is also back and so is Chile's own Pinochet. Also a few people that are still in the news like Fidel Astro and Mugabe are represented. Gerritsen does drawings in pastel chalk, terpentine, oil paint and pencil of the more famous and the infamous national leaders who have ruled over the last 50 years. But they are more charactures than portraits. But nearly all are recognizable. The emphasis is on the colors. (138x100 cms., # 3,500 euro.) Until 4th July. www.weteringgalerie.nl

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Galerie Alex Daniels (neé Reflex, Weteringschans 83) has a non-show show. Confused? Well, there is only ONE picture on display. This is a rather strange way to exhibit an artist and 3D jogged his memory to recall a previous show where a gallery hung only one work. Another unusual aspect is that on one wall there is a rather long and involved essay (in English) on David La Chapelle's style and motivation, as a photographer, which begins with a quote from John Keats, from his "Ode to a Grecian Urn," and closes with a quote from Rudyard Kipling's "The White Man's Burden." It was written by Colin Wiggins of The National Gallery London. On another wall is a shorter essay (in Dutch) by Wim Pijbes, the director of the Rijksmuseum; and on still another wall is stenciled the show's title. The one work is a three meter long by 133 cms., high photograph which is filled with symbolism, humor, serious elements and reflects Michelangelo's "Pieta" as done by Jeff Koons with lots of vibrant colors. When 3D asked the price, the gallery holder said it was not for publication. However, there is an edition (5)---in a smaller size (130x60)---which is available for 12,000 to 18,000 euro. That means, if you buy number "1" you pay the low price. Number "5" is 18,000 euro. Until 31st July. www.reflexamsterdam.com

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"Gorgeous ladies" is the titled of Cao Dan (China) show at Edward Pranger Oriental Art Gallery (Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 53). Bright, vibrant and with Kandinsky flavored colors and symbols like in his 1910-1920 period. The artist composes the imagery with a software program then replicates it, with paint, on canvas. At first glance, the work's style appears to be pure expressionism. But give it a little time and you begin to see a human face and sometimes several faces. But they are nearly subliminal. Again, as to the colors, he softens the strong Kandinsky like reds and blues by using pastel hues. (65x65 cms., acrylic on canvas @ 3,900 euro; 150x130 cms., acrylic on canvas @ 14,000 euro.) Until 5th July. www.prangergallery.com

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The late photographer/artist, Theo IJzermans, work is hanging at Gallery WM (Elandsgracht 35). "Rum and Coca-Cola" is certainly an apt titled for these color photos of Cuban society. He captures all ages from children to oldsters. Good compostion and color. He also wrote a few thrillers (available in Dutch) and one has the same title as this show. (Photos @ 2,800 euro.) Until 14th July. www.gallerywm.com

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RudolfV (Kerkstraat 427), as is their habit, shows five artist. Noor Tielens is a strong figurative expressionist with assertive colors. Anyone of her works will dominate a wall. (65x50 cms., @ 550 euro; 100x120 cms., @ 1,700 euro.)...The sculptor José van der Valk cast elongated images---some appearing to be figurative, some look like drift wood---in bronze. There is also a melding of the imagery with the work's pedestal which obviously has been designed to compliment the sculptured piece. (The images are plus or minus 40 cms., with a pedestal of about 150 cms; 895 to 2,500 euro.)...Along with Van der Valk, in the front gallery room, are paintings by Edith Snoek. She paints with mellow colors like shades of blue and gray. Soft on the eyes. The imagery ranges from realistic representational to conceptual figurative. (100x100 cms., @ 2,100-2,700 euro).

Aico Dinkla comes into the art world from an unusual direction. He achieved fame as a fashion designer, but became disillusioned with the "glamour" and "ways" of the industry. He took dresses, he had made, and cut them into strips and attached them to canvas and covered everything with silicon and metalic pigments. As to the latter, last week's "3D List" questioned what "synthetic coating on canvas" was all about....and this is the answer. What results is a conceptual abstraction which is very personal to the artist. Actually, he describes his work as "almost sculptural." (120x100 cms., @ 2,350 to 5,250 euro.)...In the gallery's small back room hangs the photographs of Patricia Ribas. The b/w photographs---though, they are more gray with a sepia like quality---shows men and women in the art of making love. No, they are not pornographic nor for that matter sexy, but there is an eroticism that comes through in almost a subliminal way. And, they are sometimes emotionally moving. The series is titled, "Study for love making." (70x70 cms., @ 750 euro.) Until 11th July. www.rudolfv.com

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Sunday:

Setsuko Nagasawa (Japan) is at Galerie De Witte Voet with clay designed sculpture pieces that could not be more banal in concept: square objects in a slanted position; an irregular circular ball; and one that looks like a corner pillow for a sofa or the top of a baked souffle. Whatever. But banal is not a criticism sense ALL have the element of simplicity and the simple can be elegant. The colors are b/w or red black, but in every case the coloration appears more as an accent. Most piece can be desribed as truly monumnetal. (61x41x16, clay 8kg., @ 3,300 euro; 50x20x18 cms., 5 kg., @ 2,00 euro.) 3D asked why the price list included the wieght of the piece. The answer, for those who want to send it through the post. Okay. Until 4th July. www.galeriedewittevoet.nl

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At Jos art (KNSM-laan...hmmm, strange, no address on the invite) there are three artists showing. Slava Seidel (Ukraine) paints with sepia ink, but it looks more like watercolors on these huge paper pieces. Her style reflects the architectural perspective work of the 18th century neoclassical engraver Piranesi (Italy), but without his disciplined attention to the linear form. She keeps the linear aspect loose while maintaining the monumental illusion of soaring cupolas or interiors of large spaces. The imagery ranges from the purely architectural to row after row of billard tables. (70x50 cms., sepia on paper @ 900 euro; 130x150 cms., sepia on paper @ 4,200 euro.)...Frans Westers paints representational contemporary impressionistic expressionism scenes in the colors of spring. The imagery consists of vague landscapes featuring trees. Pinks and placid greens in several hues dominate in his color chart. (130x270 cms., acrylic on canvas @ 5,600 euro.)...Simon Oud is a sculptor working in zinc which is a none-rare metal more often than not used as an alloy with other metals. These are wall hanging sculptures that are monumnetal in form but quirky because of their erractic form design which do not reflect anything conventional in nature. The work is conceptual, simple, elegant with an illusion of the ordinary; and that is, perhaps, due to the use of the inexpensive metal, zinc. (44x24x8 cms., @ 1,800 euro; 122x23x11 cms trip-tych @ 2,750 euro; 55x26x8 cms., @ 2,250 euro.) Until 9th August. www.josart.nl

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WHAT IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK:

Reminder: The (?) indicateds that the information may be wrong; and the "*" designates the times may be in error. You are advised to click-on to the gallery's web-site (generally, included) or to telephone before going.

THURSDAY: 11th June, 2009

17:30 De Brakke Grond/VCC (Nes 45). Kristina Kersa's "I Sing As The Bird Sings," "A poetic video installation." Also, free films on the 12th and 13th of June. More info: www.brakkegrond.nl

20:30 STEIM (Utrechtsedwarstraat 134). "The New Mexican Electronic Music," by the Conservatory of Amsterdam featuring works by eight Mexican composers. FREE. RSVP: knock@steim.nl

FRIDAY: 12th June

11-17:00 Boven's Veiling (Auction) Galerie (Kerkstraat 78) Paintings and graphics. Viewing days: today through Sunday, same times. Auction, Tuesday @ 19:300. catalog at: www.bovens.biz

17:00 Chellerie (Raamgracht 58). "SPEKKIE BIG & DE WC-EEND"," paintings by Jeroen Blankert and "mrcvndrhist" (Marc vander Holst). www.spekkiebig.nl

17-20:00 "moooi gallery amsterdam" (Westerstraat 187). This is an impressive space for the design gallery: "moooi amsterdam." Everything from flooring to furniture to lighting to knick-knacks to art. www.moooigllery.com

20:00* Arti et Amicitiae (Rokin 112). "Erik Fens - Fensverzametti," This is about his 723 volume "Encyclopedia" that has been 25 years in the making and is still going---or should I say---still growing strong. The film director Frederiek Jochems used photos from Fen's Encyclopedia, of 3Ds former home, in her film "I LOVE ART" which he took to document 3Ds' collection. www.arti.nl www.erikfens.nl

SATURDAY: 13th June

12-17:00 Concertgebouw, A day of FREE music. Sometime between the hours listed the group CORO CANTORO (a Cuban music choir) will perform. www.galan.biz

15-20:00 Stichting de Botenloods (Levantkade 45). The public presentation for "Van Het Spookschipgenootschap," by Walter Bartelings, et al. No web-site address on announcement.

(?)16:00* Vriend Van Bavink (Geldersekade 58). Tobias de Haan. www,vriendvanbavink.nl

16-20:00 Kunstcentrum Meneer de Wit (Baarsjeweg 202), "being a jellybar." www.beingajellybar.net

16-18:00 Galerie Clement (Prinsengracht 845). Graphic work by Cremer, Lucebert, Sierhuis, Lataster, et al. www.galerie-clement.nl

16:00 "Gallery nine" (Keizersgracht 552). Mixed media work on paper by Ioannis Kyriakongonas (Greece). www.gallerynine.nl

17-19:00 Fons Welters (Bloemstraat 140). Berend Strik, new work. www.fonswelters.nl

17-19:00 Galerie F. van Diente (Spuistraat 270). Danielle Lemaire.

SUNDAY: 14th June

16:00 OT301 (Overtoom 301). "Wonderland #28," "Music dance and improvisation for kids and family...kids can play free with artists and become part of the performance." Ten dancers. 4 euro adults, children FREE. No web-site address on announcement.

***

Ever so slowly---or is it quickly---the Amstrerdam Art Season 2008-2009 is winding down. Of course, it never really dies but it does become lethargic to a point where it just seems like nothing is happening. Oh well! Somehow one does get through the months of July and August. And it does allow one to recharge their batteries; and in an age when the world seems to run on batteries that can be viewed as a good thing. 3D looks forward to eight weeks that are not dominated by deadlines. But what to do? I'm thinking of writing a detective novel and just for fun. Keeping it short, funny, sweet or what have you. But, we'll see. Maybe you'll find me just hanging out in Vondel Park reading a book. Whatever. In the meantime, there is STILL time for you to buy a "masterpiece." I qualify the term because IF it is a "masterpiece" in your eyes then it is a masterpiece. Now ain't that simple.

...And there he goes with a magnifying glass and telescope hoping to eye the next Mona Lisa...Mona Lisa, the smile, the smile...hey, maybe what's- his-name offered her a bonus...or something like that.