Hans Deuss
Encyclopedia
Hans Deuss is a Dutch realist
painter.
in Amsterdam
, and started a career in advertising. In 1974 he became a painter.
Nature gives battle to the presence of man. Deuss shows mans urge to destruction and the fight that nature wages to save itself. Eventually, Deuss' paintings seem to tell us, nature will come out victorious, but it will take a very long time. The wind blows seeds in tiny cracks in the structures, from which plants and trees will grow that will eventually engulf the building. Deuss likes to spend time outside of the city in which he lives, and he loves to cycle through the flat polder
landscape around Amsterdam. The ever-expanding city can always be seen looming on the horizon, like an advancing front. Deuss is fascinated by this concept.
The buildings in his paintings are figments of his imagination or based on real building. They can be glimpses of memories of his childhood when he was leafing through old photo albums, or of his travels: for example Mexico, where he visited the ancient Aztec
buildings.
The surrealistic buildings are mostly open constructions without roof, windows or doors. Air, water or foliage can be glimpsed through these openings. The buildings are not dilapidated or dirty buildings but look to be carefully conserved and clean. Everything is tidy and structured in the painting of Deuss. This tidiness is enhanced by his painting style: the structures of the walls, the leaves of the trees, everything is painted in excruciating detail.
Deuss studied at the Rietveld academy in Amsterdam
, and was taught by Melle
and Herman Gordijn. This was where his interest in the Magical Realism was born.
, the Aemstelle Museum in Amstelveen
, the Markiezenhof in Bergen op Zoom
and the PAN Galerie De Twee Pauwen in Den Haag. His work was also displayed abroad in New York
, Atlanta, Tokyo
, Paris
, Antwerp, Strassbourg and Dijon
.
Realism (visual arts)
Realism in the visual arts is a style that depicts the actuality of what the eyes can see. The term is used in different senses in art history; it may mean the same as illusionism, the representation of subjects with visual mimesis or verisimilitude, or may mean an emphasis on the actuality of...
painter.
Biography
Hans Deuss graduated from the Graphics training at the Gerrit Rietveld AcademieGerrit Rietveld Academie
-Profile:More than 45% of the student population comes from abroad, originating from over 60 different countries around the world. Most of the classes are in English...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, and started a career in advertising. In 1974 he became a painter.
Works
The main theme of Hans Deuss' work is landscapes. In his paintings, man can be "sensed" by his absence; only the footsteps are visible. The landscapes are fantasy landscapes with mostly angular architectural shapes that sharply contrast with the organic shapes seen in nature. Nature and Culture are in eternal conflict with each other in Hans Deuss' works. Classically shaped exotic buildings stand in sharp contrast with the advancing foliage: trees and bushes grow through constructions or loom in the distance. Air and water surround the architecture. Stairs lead up or down, and seem to offer an escape out of this constricting situation. His paintings give the viewer a sense of enormous space by a horizon far way, or a window that leads the viewer outside of the picture: it is there that the freedom is.Nature gives battle to the presence of man. Deuss shows mans urge to destruction and the fight that nature wages to save itself. Eventually, Deuss' paintings seem to tell us, nature will come out victorious, but it will take a very long time. The wind blows seeds in tiny cracks in the structures, from which plants and trees will grow that will eventually engulf the building. Deuss likes to spend time outside of the city in which he lives, and he loves to cycle through the flat polder
Polder
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices...
landscape around Amsterdam. The ever-expanding city can always be seen looming on the horizon, like an advancing front. Deuss is fascinated by this concept.
The buildings in his paintings are figments of his imagination or based on real building. They can be glimpses of memories of his childhood when he was leafing through old photo albums, or of his travels: for example Mexico, where he visited the ancient Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
buildings.
The surrealistic buildings are mostly open constructions without roof, windows or doors. Air, water or foliage can be glimpsed through these openings. The buildings are not dilapidated or dirty buildings but look to be carefully conserved and clean. Everything is tidy and structured in the painting of Deuss. This tidiness is enhanced by his painting style: the structures of the walls, the leaves of the trees, everything is painted in excruciating detail.
Deuss studied at the Rietveld academy in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, and was taught by Melle
Melle
-Places:Belgium* Melle, Belgium, a gemeente in East Flanders, FlandersFrance* Melle, Deux-Sèvres, a commune in Poitou-Charentes* Mellé, Ille-et-Vilaine, a commune in BrittanyGermany* Melle, Germany, a Stadt in Osnabrück Landkreis, Lower Saxony...
and Herman Gordijn. This was where his interest in the Magical Realism was born.
Expositions
Hans Deuss' work was part of many expositions of the works of Independent Realists in the Møhlmann museum. His works were also displayed in the Singer Museum in LarenLaren
is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Located in the region called 't Gooi, it is the oldest town in that area. It is one of the richest towns in the Netherlands, along with its neighbour Blaricum...
, the Aemstelle Museum in Amstelveen
Amstelveen
' is a suburban municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam. The municipality of Amstelveen consists of the following villages and/or districts: Amstelveen, Bovenkerk, Westwijk, Bankras-Kostverloren, Groenelaan, Waardhuizen,...
, the Markiezenhof in Bergen op Zoom
Bergen op Zoom
Bergen op Zoom is a municipality and a city located in the south of the Netherlands.-History:Bergen op Zoom was granted city status probably in 1266. In 1287 the city and its surroundings became a lordship as it was separated from the lordship of Breda. The lordship was elevated to a margraviate...
and the PAN Galerie De Twee Pauwen in Den Haag. His work was also displayed abroad in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Atlanta, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Antwerp, Strassbourg and Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
.