Woody van Amen
Encyclopedia
Wilhelmus Josephus van Amen (Eindhoven August 26 1936) is a Dutch
sculptor , painter
and collage
artist.
. His teachers included Louis van Roode. From 1970 he taught at the same Academy. In 1959 he made the longest paintings in the world, which were abstract
paintings made on organ books.
. He was introduced to the work of American artists such as Andy Warhol
and Robert Rauschenberg
, pioneers in the pop art
movement. These artists used everyday consumer
objects in their work. Van Amen drew inspiration from this approach and made a number of paintings in which he incorporated familiar brands from the Netherlands
.
Back in the Netherlands, he developed his own style and at one point moved on to using other techniques. He devoted himself to assemblage art
. He made his works from a variety of objects taken from everyday life. He created art that was intended to shock the establishment. For example, his work Electric Chair from 1964 was an assemblage piece made of waste wood and had everything necessary for the execution of the death sentence. At the same time it looks clumsy and too cozy with a flower pot full of geraniums. The public reaction was negative and rejected it as not being art but as only intended to mock. The work was rejected for an exhibition in Schiedam
.
In 1968 Woody van Amen started to experiment with ice. He took a freezer apart and resassembled it inside out. A beautiful coat of white frost formed on the modified shape of the cooling element.
Woody van Amen also made a series of "Vibro-objects" intended as an ironic take on consumer society. He modified the weight loss devices of that time so that they were completely deprived of their function and became components of large torture instruments made of cold chrome. The steel springs that were attached to the devices vibrated so that the whole resembled fat western bodies that were trembling and shivering.
and Southeast Asia
, which is the basis of an oriental influence in his work. His art moved away from pop art and became difficult to classify. He started using a few recurring forms in his works such as the Matterhorn
and a form he refers to as the taxat, which is based on an Oriental symbol.
In 1993 he was the recipient of the Chabot Prize which is awarded by the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds (Prince Bernhard Culture Fund). Museum Valkhof organised in 2003 a retrospective of his work and a catalogue raisonné
of his work was published.
After recovering from a serious illness, he visited Singapore in 2003 where he came upon flashcards of Chinese characters. Chinese characters, particularly the characters shuangxi or “double happiness” (喜喜) (usually associated with Chinese weddings), have since played an important role in his work.
In 2007, van Amen made the film Sources of Inspiration. It records his travels to Vietnam, Burma and Indonesia. Man, religion and the beauty of nature play an important role in the film.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
sculptor , painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
artist.
Education
Van Amen studied at the Rotterdam AcademyWillem de Kooning Academy
The Willem de Kooning Academy is a Dutch Academy of art and design based in Rotterdam and named in memory of the famous Dutch artist Willem de Kooning.- Overview :...
. His teachers included Louis van Roode. From 1970 he taught at the same Academy. In 1959 he made the longest paintings in the world, which were abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
paintings made on organ books.
Pop Art
From 1961 he spent two years in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was introduced to the work of American artists such as Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
and Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg was an American artist who came to prominence in the 1950s transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art. Rauschenberg is well-known for his "Combines" of the 1950s, in which non-traditional materials and objects were employed in innovative combinations...
, pioneers in the pop art
Pop art
Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art...
movement. These artists used everyday consumer
Consumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
objects in their work. Van Amen drew inspiration from this approach and made a number of paintings in which he incorporated familiar brands from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Back in the Netherlands, he developed his own style and at one point moved on to using other techniques. He devoted himself to assemblage art
Assemblage (art)
Assemblage is an artistic process. In the visual arts, it consists of making three-dimensional or two-dimensional artistic compositions by putting together found objects...
. He made his works from a variety of objects taken from everyday life. He created art that was intended to shock the establishment. For example, his work Electric Chair from 1964 was an assemblage piece made of waste wood and had everything necessary for the execution of the death sentence. At the same time it looks clumsy and too cozy with a flower pot full of geraniums. The public reaction was negative and rejected it as not being art but as only intended to mock. The work was rejected for an exhibition in Schiedam
Schiedam
Schiedam is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is part of the Rotterdam metropolitan area. The city is located west of Rotterdam, east of Vlaardingen and south of Delft...
.
After Pop Art
The period 1966-1967 saw a change in the themes prevalent in Woody van Amen's work. The new work involved a study of the visual aspects of movement, light and light reflection. The artist also started to experiment with new materials such as perspex and neon.In 1968 Woody van Amen started to experiment with ice. He took a freezer apart and resassembled it inside out. A beautiful coat of white frost formed on the modified shape of the cooling element.
Woody van Amen also made a series of "Vibro-objects" intended as an ironic take on consumer society. He modified the weight loss devices of that time so that they were completely deprived of their function and became components of large torture instruments made of cold chrome. The steel springs that were attached to the devices vibrated so that the whole resembled fat western bodies that were trembling and shivering.
Later evolution of his work
In the 70s he started to make frequent trips to SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, which is the basis of an oriental influence in his work. His art moved away from pop art and became difficult to classify. He started using a few recurring forms in his works such as the Matterhorn
Matterhorn
The Matterhorn , Monte Cervino or Mont Cervin , is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Its summit is 4,478 metres high, making it one of the highest peaks in the Alps. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points...
and a form he refers to as the taxat, which is based on an Oriental symbol.
In 1993 he was the recipient of the Chabot Prize which is awarded by the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds (Prince Bernhard Culture Fund). Museum Valkhof organised in 2003 a retrospective of his work and a catalogue raisonné
Catalogue raisonné
The typical catalogue raisonné is a monograph giving a comprehensive catalogue of artworks by an artist.The essential elements of a catalogue raisonné are that it purports to be an exhaustive list of works for a defined subject matter describing the works in a way so that they may be reliably...
of his work was published.
After recovering from a serious illness, he visited Singapore in 2003 where he came upon flashcards of Chinese characters. Chinese characters, particularly the characters shuangxi or “double happiness” (喜喜) (usually associated with Chinese weddings), have since played an important role in his work.
In 2007, van Amen made the film Sources of Inspiration. It records his travels to Vietnam, Burma and Indonesia. Man, religion and the beauty of nature play an important role in the film.