Art Now

"Art Now" shows a new work from the EUR art collection every two weeks. Art Now, digitally on the screen, for inspiration, as consolation, imagination, reflection or as a distraction and extender of reality.

Dick Cassee – CONSTRUCTION IN CIRKEL 1, 1967 dry needle etching, diameter 24 cm - EUR Art collection (purchased in 1969)

Dick Cassee (1931-2023) is considered a leading representative of Dutch abstract-geometric art and one of the most prominent graphic artists in the Netherlands. He was born in Boemendaal and studied at the AKI in Enschede from 1950 to 1954, where the famous architect Aldo van Eyck was one of his teachers. In 1961, he worked in Stanley Hayter's influential Atelier 17 studio in Paris, an experience that led him to focus more on dry needle etchings. Cassee's work is primarily abstract and geometric, characterized by monochrome tones. It is known for its serenity and technical mastery. Landscapes and desolate environments were important sources of inspiration for him. He often made sketches on-site, repeatedly drawing his subjects to "take the form with him," which he later developed further in his studio. Despite the abstract nature of Cassee's work, the images are always deeply rooted in the observation of nature.

Henk Huig, De identiteitscrisis van Tielse Flip, 1967 - acrylic on linnen (11 parts), 242 x 262 cm Art Collection EUR, restored in 2016, present location first floor Polak building campus Woudestein.

On the ground floor in the Polak building hangs the 1967 painting ‘The identity crisis of Tiel's Flip’ by artist Henk Huig (1934, Amsterdam). 

Henk Huig was a versatile artist. He was educated at the arts and crafts school in the early fifties and then travelled to Turkey and Iran. He became a graphic artist and painter and was often photographed himself with his work due to his striking posture as a bodybuilder. In the fifties he worked as a graphic artist, traditionally realistic, a bit tame. That changed when he started painting in the early sixties, in a quiet tone and clear division of surfaces, with nature as theme. From an Expressionistic grounded, lyrical-graphic style he switched via gouaches to collages to a New Realist painting in which a certain pop-surrealism struck. For this he was awarded the Amsterdamse Havenprijs in 1967 and the Koninklijke Subsidie voor de Schilderkunst in 1968. Humour, wordplay and references to Pop Art return in his work with which he wants to portray the modern man of his time. Absurdist comics’ is the headline of a newspaper at the time. These characteristics are clearly reflected in the work in EUR that must have been made during those heydays. Working with patterns and emptiness, flat and 3D, his paintings become powerful semi-pop-like compositions, reminiscent of Zekveld's pop art. The work must be from 1968 or before: at the end of 1968 the art committee of the EUR decided to accept the loan from architect Dunnebier. He bought the painting, had no room for it, and gave it on loan to the NEH for five years, after which the EUR purchased it in 1997.

Text - Sandra Smets (from art historical description of highlights art route EUR).

Silvia B., ‘Hazels's Spring’, 2024 - Size 105 x 190 x 190 cm. - Mixed media

Silvia B. on her own work:‘My latest series stems from the balancing act of contemporary life. A series reflecting on both the drama and the joy of human life on earth in the Anthropocene. In the sculptures of the Entanglement series the boundaries between nature and culture become fluid. The bare skin of debarked trees blends seamlessly into that of human adolescent body parts, intertwining both their vulnerability and their will to live.’

Silvia B.'s artworks from the Entanglement series, including the work Hazel's Spring (2024) shown here, are on display at the Erasmus Galleryon campus Woudestein until 10 March 2025.

*The Anthropocene is the most recent geological epoch in Earth's history, in which humans have become the most influential species and have a significant impact on the planet's climate and ecosystems].

Richard Lohse – ‘Systematische Farbreihe’, z.j. – silkscreen, 55 x 55 cm EUR Art collection (purchased in 1969)

Artist Richard Lohse (1902-1988) was a Swiss painter and graphic artist and is seen as an important representative of the constructive art movements of the 20th century. Due to his difficult economic circumstances, he could not go to study. At a young age he joined an advertising agency, where he was trained to be an advertising designer. Within a short time, his success enabled him to establish his own graphic design studio. He standardized pictorial means and began to develop modular and serial systems. In 1943 he broke through in the art world. Lohse combined art with a strong political and moral awareness. As an activist, he stood up for immigrants and was involved in (illegal) protests. His political beliefs led him to the resistance movement. Lohse's works consist of systematic, two-dimensional laminar planes of integrating color elements in different logical/mathematical relationships. They are based on structure and color and on how we perceive them, with each element playing an equal qualitative/equally important role.

Anuli Croon 'Penthouse I, 2015 - acrylic + metallic acrylic on canvas, 170x250 cm - Art Collection EUR

'Penthouse I' from 2015 by Rotterdam based artist Anuli Croon (1964) was purchased in the Art Collection EUR in 2019. Croon about her work: ‘My figures are stylized, mutually different, and individual-like by their poses, hands, and noses. They are prominent and indifferent, man and woman at the same time. They do not tell a story, do not explain themselves, and do not carry emotions. The paintings thus become autonomous constructions that are open to multiple interpretations. 'Penthouse I,' which now hangs in the Erasmus University boardroom, is based on the reclining figure, a common theme in the history of the visual arts. The character is in the middle of lying, falling, or leaning back. The background looks like the skyline of a big city'. 

The figure in Penthouse I is indeed reminiscent of the classic reclining figure. With displaying the figure in this way, the artist follows a long tradition. But just as well, the artwork refers to cartoonlike figures and contemporary advertising with pattern-like elaborations, which places the artwork right in the here and now. Seemingly emotionless, the large reclining figure in Penthouse I looks at the city from a higher point of view, withdrawn as if she belongs there, only not right now... 

Metten Koornstra untitled, 1976, lithography

In this 1976 untitled lithograph by artist Metten Koornstra (1912-1978), we see a Koornstra typical depiction of figures in a tranquil landscape. The artist was born in Rotterdam; but spent a large part of his childhood in Haarlem. In the late 1930s, he took lessons at the Rotterdam Academy. There he learned the technique of lithographing (stone printing); a technique that he would master fully. A few years later Koornstra bought an old lithograph press and set up his studio as a printing shop. This led to the famous print shop 845 at the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam. With the assistance of Piet Clement, printshop 845 grew into an internationally well-known company, specialized in printing techniques. Koornstra, was, in addition to being a graphic artist and painter, an illustrator of books and designer of book covers and theatre sets. The latter made him also known as 'the decorator of Het Boekenbal’.

Maartje Folkeringa ‘Like (swipe)’ mint-green-blue (2022), EUR Art Collection. Technique: glazed ceramic and metal. Dimensions: 'Like' approx: 27x41x6 cm., steel wall shelf: 42,5x11 cm.

Maartje Folkeringa (b. 1978) works from starting points or prompts that she finds in the complicated unwritten rules of contemporary society. She is inspired by verbal and non-verbal communication, self-presentation, and conformism. Today's visual and consumer culture are also recurring sources of inspiration that shape her oeuvre. With the series "Like (swipe)," created in 2022, she gives us a poetic look at ‘liking,’ a gesture and digital form of communication that is part of many people's everyday actions. The series consists of 12 unique objects made of colored ceramics. By using candy colors and pastel shades, Folkeringa enhances the playful and airy nature of the work. In 2022, three Like (swipe)'s from the series were acquired for the EUR Art Collection, including the ‘Like (swipe) mint-green-blue’ shown here.

Silvia B., Karen’s Sparkle 2023 - Size 28x31.33 cm - Material patent leather platform pump, hazel shoot, epoxy, paint, and electrical wire. 

Social engagement, lust for life, and sensuality are central to the surreal, absurd, and poetic world of Rotterdam-based artist Silvia B. (1963). The line between man and nature becomes fluid where this artist seamlessly fuses the 'naked skin' of adolescents with debarked tree stumps, branches, and plant roots. Her new sculpture series Entanglement depicts both the celebration and drama of human life on earth and shows the inextricable connection between humans and nature. At the same time, human activity has affected climate and nature on a large scale, leading to an uncertain future. This uncertain future resonates in the titles of Silvia B.'s sculptures: Eden's Expansion, Juni's Longings, Kaya's Journey, Platy's Party, and Karan's Sparkle. They refer to desires, dreams, hopes, ambitions, and the young generation’s search for freedom and meaning, while balancing between the pleasures and temptations of life and the impact that life has on the earth's climate. Silvia B.'s artworks, including Karen's Sparkle's which is shown here, will be on display at the Erasmus Gallery from November 8 to March 8, 2025.

Based on a text by Haiko Sleumer

JCJ Vanderheyden – ‘Midnight Sun’, 1990 – silkscreen, 55 x 80 cm – EUR Art Collection 

Through the plane window, we look along with artist JCJ Vanderheyden (1928-2012) during one of his many trips he made to Nepal, China, and Japan. The trips inspired him and were the source for, among other things, his series of works with airplane windows, an essential chapter in his career of more than 50 years. Observation - looking - is one of the central themes in his art, as is the horizon we see from the airplane window. Vanderheyden's horizon is never straight; the perspective changes and is convex, vertical, or sloping. He always tried to capture the complexity of reality in a simple image. With his frames, grids, and mirrors, Vanderheyden repeatedly draws concentrated attention to boundaries, separation, and dispersion. At first, he did this as a painter, and from the mid-70s onward also by using a variety of media such as photography, screens, graphics, film, photocopies, sound, and computer images.

Co Westerik ‘De Kus’, 2003 – Etching on scooped paper, 27 x 22 cm. - EUR Art Collection  

The artwork 'De Kus' (the kiss) by artist Co Westerik (1924-2018) from 2003 became part of the EUR Art Collection through a private gift in 2016. It is not the first or only work of art by this artist in the university collection.  As early as 1971, a work by his hand was purchased as the first of a total of 22 that are now part of the collection. Co Westerik painted, drew, etched, and photographed the ordinary from the amazement he felt for it. The multi-talented artist has consistently built up a rich and fascinating oeuvre in which he magnifies everyday life by zooming in on it. In doing so, he mostly chose a point of view that brings the beholder uncomfortably close to the everyday. 

Marije Vermeulen, Hook-Ups (detail), 2024 - dim. approx. 13x19 meters - location south facade E-building, campus Woudestein - EUR Art collection 

Marije Vermeulen (1976) was commissioned by Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) to create a mural on the plaza façade of the E-building on the Woudestein campus. For its design, she was inspired by the unique architecture of the building; Geometric shapes and lines form a connecting pattern that builds on the existing lines and details. A reference to the origins of the shapes and patterns of the mural can be found in its title Hook-Ups, which refers both to connection and to a unique architectural detail of the building. The mural, measuring 13x19 meters, depicts the theme of connecting and symbolizes EUR's commitment to embracing the art of connecting through interdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement.

The festive 'unveiling’ of the mural is part of the Opening Academic Year and will take place on 2 September at 12:30 on location: E building campusplattegrond D4