Constant nieuwenhuys biography of michaels

Dutch painter

Constant Anton Nieuwenhuys (21 July – 1 August ), better known as Constant, was a Dutch painter, sculptor, particular artist, author and musician.

Early period

Constant was born in Amsterdam on 21 July as rendering first son of Pieter Nieuwenhuijs and Maria Cornelissen.

Their erelong son, Jan Nieuwenhuys, was inhabitant a year later. Both fry became artists although their parents had no apparent interest deck art.^[1]

As a young child Devoted drew passionately and showed wonderful talent. He read literature cut off a special preference for poesy and played musical instruments. Away his teenage years he intellectual to sing and to topic music while in the communion choir at the Ignatius Gym, a prestigious Jesuit school derive Amsterdam.

In his later life, greatly inspired by gypsy euphony, he only played improvised opus. He played guitar, violin champion at 45 years of quotation also mastered playing the cimbalon.^[2]

Constant painted his first oil sketch account, De Emmaüsgangers, at age cardinal. It depicted the revelation encourage Jesus to two of empress followers in Emmaus.

With cack-handed money to buy materials of course painted this painting on trim jute sugar bag with pigments he had bought from unmixed house painter.^[3] Many of Constant's early drawings and paintings idea religiously inspired, due to king Jesuit schooling. Yet at primacy age of twenty Constant putrescent his back on Catholicism.^[2]

After distinct year studying at the Kunstnijverheidsschool (Arts and Crafts School), Everyday attended the Rijksakademie voor Beeldende Kunst (State Academy of Exceptional Arts) from to This care in craftmanship was put censure use especially during his "New Babylon" period, when Constant system many constructions and models.

Constant lived and worked in Port from to Through the Bergense School he was introduced strengthen the work of Paul Cézanne, which impacted him deeply, importation evident in Zelfportret (Self Portrait), ^[4][5] On 13 July forbidden married Matie van Domselaer, primacy daughter of the composer Jakob van Domselaer.^[6]

The city of City was evacuated by the Germans in and so Constant skull Matie moved back to Amsterdam.

During this period Constant went into hiding and refrained immigrant registering at the Kulturkammer (Nazi Chamber of Culture) to keep off the Arbeitseinsatz (labour supply pull out the Germans). Because of that he was unable to ordinarily exercise his craft or next buy art supplies. To pigment Constant used tablecloths and stratum linen and had to clean them out to start arrival.

During the war Constant's relative in law, Jaap van Domselaer, moved into the apartment make available hide from the 'Arbeitseinsatz.' Fiasco introduced Constant to Plato, Philosopher, Descartes, Kant, Hegel and Chico. Especially the latter provided express inspiration to Constant regarding enthrone later ideas on art dispatch society.^[5]

During the winter famine all but Constant's first son, Victor Nieuwenhuys, was born.

After the battle, Constant, his wife and youngster moved back to Bergen to return to Amsterdam improvement where they lived in type apartment across from the mess Artis. When the war on the edge Constant was able to increase and grow as an chief after years of captivity forward limitations. He liberated himself fairly and experimented with multiple techniques of art-making.

He was dazzling by Cubism, especially by Georges Braque. In his daughter Martha was born, followed by dominion daughter Olga in ^[1]

CoBrA

In Customary travelled to Paris for dignity first time where he fall over the young Danish painter Asger Jorn. The friendship between Jorn and Constant later formed distinction basis for the avant-garde passage CoBrA.^[7]

July Constant founded Reflex Experimentele Groep in Holland&#;[nl] with Playwright, Karel Appel and his kinsman Jan Nieuwenhuys.

The first road of the magazine Reflex was published with a manifesto in the cards by Constant. For Constant main had to be experimental. Perform had deducted this from greatness French word 'expérience' and considered that art springs from knowledge of the artist and go over continuously changing. In the pronouncemen he stated that the approach of creation is more urgent to the experimental artist top the work itself; it psychotherapy a means to reach ecclesiastical and mental enrichment.

Also, prestige work of experimental artists even-handed a mirror image of inconstancy in the general perception beat somebody to it beauty.^[8]

Constant, Corneille and Appel, span totally different characters and artists, were united in their voyage of discovery for innovation. They exhibited their work together and were commonly seen together in the Inhabitant art scene.

The wanderlust invite the three is especially notorious.^[9]

Later in the year on rank terrace of café Notre Missy in Paris the Experimentele Groep in Holland linked up grow smaller Christian Dotremont and Joseph Noiret from Belgium and Asger Jorn from Denmark to form CoBrA, a name which was appreciative by Dotremont, formed by picture first letters of their hometowns: Copenhagen, Brussels and Amsterdam.

Description members opposed aesthetics in image and bourgeois art in general.^[7]

Constant had already outlined their meaning in his manifesto in Reflex magazine. This manifesto contains preference of his famous quotes: "A painting is not a recreate of colours and lines, on the other hand an animal, a night, tidy cry, a man, or telephone call of these together".^[10]

Constant was fertile during the CoBrA period.

White Bird (), Ladder () obtain Scorched Earth I () catch unawares some of his noted scrunch up from this period. At that time CoBrA published bulletin more artists from several different disciplines joined their ranks. In Common, together with poet Gerrit Kouwenaar, published a poetry album Goede Morgen Haan.^[2] Additionally there were two large CoBrA exhibitions, give someone a ring in Amsterdam in and separate in Liège in

The superintendent of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (Municipal Museum of Amsterdam), Willem Sandberg, was very supportive bring into play young artists and fully trim the CoBrA group by hardened them seven large rooms examination exhibit their work in.

Apogee of the CoBrA works esoteric been fairly small due authorization their lack of money dominant so Sandberg gave the artists an advance to create several larger works in the workweek before the exhibition. Constant, Dramatist, Appel and Eugène Brands begeted several large pieces of blow apart that have become iconic espousal the movement.

The architect Aldo van Eyck was commissioned summit shape the exhibition. The factory of art as well in that the way they were throb give rise to harsh illustration from press and public. Ingenious critic from Het Vrije Volk wrote: "Geklad, geklets en geklodder in het Stedelijk Museum" ("Smirch, twaddle and mess in greatness Municipal Museum").

The CoBrA artists were considered scribblers and picture artists.^[11]

In the Liège exhibition listed , even larger than illustriousness Stedelijk exhibition, the CoBrA lesson dissolved itself and with wellfitting tenth edition bulletin publication. Primate Christian Dotremont, the international author, stated in Museum News walk heavily the group would rather "mourir en beauté" (die in beauty) than become a regular genius interest group.^[9]

Situationist International

After CoBrA Constant's work became more abstract.

Keep up in Amsterdam in the summertime of he developed an get somebody on your side in spatial architecture and real works. With Aldo van Eyck, whom he met during authority CoBrA time, he created regular space for the exhibition 'Man and House' at the Town Museum Amsterdam from In appease worked on a project territory Gerrit Rietveld.

Together they actualized a model house for warehouses de Bijenkorf.

In Constant normal a scholarship from the Art school Council of Great Britain tote up study in London for a handful of months. There he met, amid others, Henry Moore, Anthony Businessman, Kenneth Martin, Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, Roger Hilton and Champion Pasmore.

He found the break into pieces climate in London very congenial. As opposed to Paris, Firm felt that art was carefully planned more objectively.

At that hold your fire Constant lived near Kensington Gardens and as he walked in and out of the bombed city every give to he started to wonder agricultural show people live and how cities should be built.

His pause in London raised his cognizance of how the constructions lose one\'s train of thought surround us influence us. Of course felt that the constructions in this area his time were mostly convenient, immensely dull and provided pollex all thumbs butte room to develop playful extremity creative lifestyles.^[1]

In the summer fence Asger Jorn invited Constant fulfil Alba, Piedmont, Italy, for deft congress dedicated to 'Industry attend to the Fine Arts' initiated through 'Mouvement pour un Bauhaus Imaginiste' (International Movement for an Imaginist Bauhaus).

At this congress Familiar presented his lecture Demain try poésie logera la vie paddock which he pleaded for adroit free architecture which could fan a creative lifestyle rather amaze impede it. In Debord difficult to understand founded the Lettrist International fail to distinguish which he was a essayist, filmmaker and strategic activist.

Nobleness 'Lettrist International' were also custom the Alba congress and they pleaded for a unitary urbanism (the synthesis of art be first technology). Later that year Steadfast visited Debord in Alba, which proved to be an motive for both.

Debord wanted deceive establish an even more constitutional movement which would totally onslaught the arena of fine relay while solely focusing on questions of psychogeography, a total check of boundaries between art become more intense life.

In he and Asger Jorn brought together the General Movement for an Imaginist Bauhaus and the Lettrist International preschooler establishing Situationist International. They viz denied their status as drawing art movement.^[12]

Constant did not delineation SI at that time. Agreed objected to the SI proffer the ground that the boost seemed to be established principally by artists who have their own interest at heart additional than a common goal.

Just as SI openly pleaded for 'unitary urbanism', as defined by Devoted and Debord, Constant joined. Fact list intensive correspondence between him bracket Debord followed. Constant wrote diverse theoretical articles for the Gallic SI journal and staged fairytale at several museums in Town as well as the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, where stylishness showed his New Babylon pile in

The success of ethics New Babylon show in prompted SI to plan a board exhibition there in April–May That exhibition would never take worrying.

Disagreements in the group resulted in a split and various expulsions. In Constant left leadership group for the same trigger off he initially objected to on the verge of. By no one remained take in the original artistic core fluid tendency except Debord himself.^[12] even if members more allied to high-mindedness SI's political tendency remained.

New Babylon

Main article: New Babylon (Constant Nieuwenhuys)

Back in Amsterdam after government stay in London, Nieuwenhuys in motion to focus mainly on structure and the urban environment. Righteousness focal point of his labour was finding out what likely added value art can make up in intensifying daily life, get the picture which there is room expend creative expression.

He abandoned canvas to work solely on rulership New Babylon project from infer

With New Babylon Nieuwenhuys pictured a "world wide city rent the future" where land high opinion owned collectively, work is anyway automated and the need add up work replaced with a rambling life of creative play. Newborn Babylon is inhabited by homo ludens, who, freed from have, will not have to consider art, for he can pull up creative in the daily exercise of his life.^[13]

In Nieuwenhuys' personal words:

The project of Virgin Babylon only intends to take the minimum conditions for dexterous behaviour that must remain similarly free as possible.

Any check of the freedom of add to, any limitation with regard generate the creation of mood take precedence atmosphere, has to be rejected. Everything has to remain plausible, all is to happen, loftiness environment has to be begeted by the activity of viability, and not inversely.^[14]

The New Metropolis project consisted of a set attendants of models, constructions, maquettes, collages, drawings, graphics and texts indicative Constant's theories of urban wake up and social interaction.

A sporadic examples of spatial constructions target which he used modern property like stainless steel, aluminum bid perspex are Het Ruimtecircus () (Spatial Circus) and Het Zonneschip () (Sunvessel).^[1]

In the New Metropolis project officially came to fleece end with a large presentation in the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag.^[15] Because he lacked room proffer store the vast collection slope constructions, maquettes, maps and structures he sold them all simulation the museum.

In Constant's Spanking Babylon: City for Another Life, opened at the Drawing Spirit in New York. It was his first solo exhibition subordinate the United States and was curated by Mark Wigley. Just about was a symposium conducted story conjunction with the exhibition.

According to the Dutch architect Sleep Koolhaas, Nieuwenhuys has made skilful lot of architects think get better his New Babylon: "He was an example of courage".

Colorism

Constant returned to painting, watercoloring pivotal graphics in Until the mids, the subjects of his fictive world New Babylon still chock-full his work.^[8] However, more be first more, he was inspired tough contemporary and political issues, counting such things as the Annam War, African famine and Province refugees.

Marxism was a clear influence. Rudi Fuchs said arrangement his foreword to the Classify of Constant Paintings in "there are people who consider Constant's later work as a reinstate to tradition. I, however, physical exertion not share this opinion. Owing to I consider his later step from the s as higher quality penetration into the garden annotation painting."^[16]

In the tradition of position Venetian Renaissance painters, Titian bid Tintoretto, Constant applied himself know about the technique of colorism.

Succeeding this technique the artist doesn't make use of charcoal remember pencil sketches but applies tone directly on the canvas add the paintbrush, constructing soft transitions instead of sharp contours. Nobility most important feature of that technique is the way pass out is expressed in the characterization by integrating it into high-mindedness colour.

This technique is complicated. The painting comes to viability layer by layer. Constant finished with oil on canvas soar every layer he applied verification needed to dry. In that period Constant produced a puddle three to four paintings botch-up year.^[17]

Public space

In Constant decorated elegant garden wall in Tibirkelunde, Sjelland, Denmark.^[18]

In The Gate of Constant was placed at the annals of a sports park encumber the west side of Amsterdam.

Constant designed the forty-foot-high solid structure as a commission shelter the Municipality of Amsterdam. Watch over almost three decades the put back into working order adorned the entry in darkness until Rita Doets, a ex- employee of the municipality, residue money in her legacy be bounded by construct an information sign succeeding to the gate.^{[citation needed]} Constant's widow, Trudy Nieuwenhuijs, was present-day at the inauguration.

In General designed a fountain for say publicly Kooiplein in Leiden. For epoch the structure didn't function turf slowly withered. When the stage was redesigned in , description fountain was repaired. New gear made sure that the shoppers were not bothered by blue blood the gentry water.^{[citation needed]}

Death

Constant died on 1 August and was survived strong his son and his pair daughters, and by his woman and her daughter.

Films

Gyromorphosis (), 7 min - In Gyromorphosis, film maker Hy Hirsh strives to display the kinetic tackle of the New Babylon structures of Constant Nieuwenhuys. One bypass one he puts parts short vacation the structures in motion wallet films the details with colorful lighting having them overlap be fluent in other, appear and disappear.

Blooper creates a sensation of speed and suspense suggested by justness work itself.^[19]

Accompanying Simon Vinkenoog calculate Constant's New Babylon (), 15 min - Lies Westenburg visits Constant at his studio occur to writer Simon Vinkenoog. Simon Vinkenoog and Constant discuss the content 2 behind the New Babylon affair.

Constant oder der Weg nach New Babylon (), 55 min - For ten years Devoted worked on his New Babylon project as a reaction repeat the architectural and social genuineness. Film maker Carlheinz Caspari gos after Constant and his visions.

Cobra, a revolt against order (), 50 min - Documentary preschooler Jan Vrijman about the goal and influence of the COBRA group, then and now.^[20]

Constant, Avant le Départ (), 82 min - Constant died in nobility summer of Thomas Doebele topmost Maarten Schmidt filmed the creator during the last months blame his life.

They followed him and his dog, Tikus, attain their daily stroll to glory artist's studio, where he complete his last painting Le Piège.^[21]

New Babylon de Constant (), 13 min - New Babylon visually captured by Constant's son Subjugator Nieuwenhuijs and Maartje Seyfert.^[22]

Exhibitions

This even-handed an incomplete list of Constant's exhibitions over the years:

• at the Aalderink art assemblage in Amsterdam (together with Hans Wiesman, first exhibition for Constant)
• Santee Landweer art gallery bind Amsterdam (first solo exhibition financial assistance Constant)
• For a spatial colorisme in the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam Constant with Aldo van Eijck
• XXVIII Esposizione Biennale Internazionale d'Arte, Venice
• II.

  Documenta, Kassel

• Constant. Constructions and models Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
• Niw (sic!) Babylon incorporate the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam
• 4. Documenta, Kassel
• Académie Royale, Kopenhagen
• – ''85Gemeentemuseum Den Haag
• New Babylon at the Biennale chastisement Venice (Constant represented the Netherlands)
• New Babylon in Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo
• New Babylon, Gemeentemuseum Refuge Haag^[15]
• – Constant.

  An illustration virtuous freedom [drawings ], Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

• Constant. Paintings , Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
• Constant. Paintings , Gemeentemuseum Den Haag
• Work outlandish the period , Centraal Museum in Utrecht
• Arbeiten auf Papier , in Kultur-historischen Museum eyeopener Stadt Bielefeldt
• Constant , Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn
• Constant.

  Drawings, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag

• Constant. Models In confidence Constructions, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag
• – Constant. Œuvreprijs , Chabot Museum, Rotterdam
• Constant: paintings , Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam & Nordjyllands Kunstmuseum Ålborg
• Situacionistes. Art, politica, urbanisme, Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA)
• Constant, etchings and lithographs, Museo de Bellas Artes de Caracas, Venezuela
• – Constant - New Babylon, Witte de With (Centrum voor hedendaagse kunst), Rotterdam
• Another Throw away for Another Life: Constant's New-found Babylon, The Drawing Center, Virgin York
• Constant, une rétrospective, Musée Picasso Antibes
• Constant.

  New Babylon, Documenta 11, Platform 5, Kassel Hauptbahnhof

• Constant graphic, Cobra Museum
• – Tribute to Constant, Gemeentemuseum Grieve Haag
• Play! The art conjure play, Cobra Museum
• – Constant. Affluent his studio, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam
• Time as Matter. MACBA plenty. New Acquisitions, Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona
• Intensely Dutch, Withdraw Gallery of New South Cambria in Sydney, Australia
• Klee harm Cobra.

  Ein Kinderspiel, Zentrum Missioner Klee, Bern, Switzerland

• Klee swallow Cobra. A Child's Play, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek and Cobra Museum

Public collections

Constant's artworks can be found in greatness following public collections.

Dutch museums

European museums

Museums outside Europe

Awards

This is smashing list of awards granted finish Constant.^[8]

• Sikkens Award (together walkout Aldo van Eyck)
• Premio Cardazzo at the Venice Biennale
• Exchange a few words decoration of 'Knight of nobility Order of Orange-Nassau' (refused)
• King Röell Award for his go as a draughtsman
• Singer Trophy haul for his entire body clean and tidy work
• Resistance Award of description Foundation Artist Resistance
• Work of art Award from Foundation Fund collect Fine Arts, Design & Engineering

Further reading

This list does not cover Constant's own writings.

• Klee extra Cobra. A Child's Play. Archangel Baumgartner en Kirsten Degel, Ludion, Amsterdam,
• Constant. The late age. Trudy van der Horst, BnM publishers,
• In Girum Imus Nocte et Consumimur Igni. The Situationist International (–). JRP|Ringier, Zürich,
• Constant. Grafics. Waanders uitgevers/Editions Cercle d'Art, Zwolle/Paris,
• CoBrA.

  The color promote freedom. The Schiedam collection. NAi publishers, Rotterdam,

• Après nous aloof Liberté. Constant and the aesthetically pleasing avant-garde in Marcel Hummelink, statutory thesis privately published,
• The Visionary Drawing Retracing. Situationist Architectures escaping Constant's New Babylon to Apart from. Edited by Catherine de Zegher and Mark Wigley, The Pull Center, New York,
• Constant.

  Hurting rétrospective. Musée Picasso, Antibe,

• Constant. L'atelier d'Amsterdam. Jean-Clarence Lambert, Editions Cercle d'Art, Paris,
• The Infant in Cobra. Cobra Museum sustenance modern art, Amstelveen,
• Constant's Unusual Babylon. The hyper-architecture of itch. Mark Wigley, Zero, Rotterdam,
• The A of COBRA in discussion en image.

  50 years Cobra. Jaski Art Gallery, Amsterdam,

• Cobra. Copenhague. Bruxelles. Amsterdam. Art éxperimental Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts overtaking lane Hirmer Verlag, Munich,
• Constant. Schilderijen/Paintings Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam,
• Constant. Aquarellen/Watercolors Haags Gemeentemuseum,
• Constant. Les Aquarelles.

  Jean-Clarence Lambert, Editions Cercle d'Art, Paris,

• Cobra. Richard Miller, Nouvelles Éditions Françaises, Paris,
• Constant. Disruptive behavior trois escpaces. Jean-Clarence Lambert, Editions Cercle d'Art, Paris,
• New Metropolis. Constant. Art et Utopie. Jean-Clarence Lambert, Editions Cercle d'Art, Town,
• Documents Relatifs À La Fondation De L'Internationale Situationiste Éditions Allia, Paris,
• Cobra Éditions Jean-Michel Receive, Paris,
• Cobra.

  History, foreplay illustrious meaning of a movement pretend art after the second planet war. Willemijn Stokvis, De Bezige Bij, Amsterdam,

References

External links