Kees Koomen

Buitenlanders en andere Papoea’s

Posted on 17 April 202417 April 2024 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

Some time ago my friend, graphic designer Els Kort, noticed a picture of an old work of mine which I put on Facebook. I never exhibited the work which is part of a series about my childhood before. Els asked me permission to use it for a bookcover. She was convinced the “wild” painting suited the stories perfectly.

_{Kees Koomen: In de nacht – 1984
Acrylverf en oliepastel op papier}

I thought this was a nice chance to attract attention to older work which nobody ever saw. The book is a collection of short stories by author Rob Verschuren. It will be published by In de Knipscheer in the Netherlands. I read some info about the author and I got the impression that this could work well so I gave my consent. This week Els sent the coverdesign:

I look forward to the publication of the collection of stories which is to be soon!

@ Hybrid Art Fair 2024

Posted on 2 April 20242 April 2024 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

I presented four portraits from my series New Encounters in the EX-MÊKH exhibition ¿De Donde?. They represent people I notice on weekly walks to the Malieveld in Den Haag. I write a description in my telephone and mail it home. Then, in my studio, I paint the portraits in oilpaint on stone paper. I also write words from the texts in the painting. It is a hommage to Francisco Goya whose drawings and comments I admire greatly.
In the Petit Palace Hotel I presented two portraits on a background of text, written on the wall with one wollen thread and two portraits without backgrounds. Also, above the bed in the room I wrote a text with one red woolen thread: Her spine moved like a snake . The wall was almost black there with blue in it which contrasted beautifully with the red of the text. Maarten Schepers placed sculpture on the bed underneath which in one blink could have been paws of animals, maybe pre-historic, which would have suggested fossiles. On the other hand the work could also have been seen as flowers on a grave or a monument. This would have turned the bed into a place of memory. The contrast with my text, which to me has an erotic connotation, placed above the bed as it was, opened a lot of associations to me. It enables me to eleborate on this way of working.

left: I Imagine Them Speaking French Inside
right: You Are Right, You Have a Good Point There

Publicity

Posted on 28 February 202428 February 2024 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

Preparing for Madrid to participate in The Hybrid Art Fair EX-MÊKH had secret participant Ben Faydherbe design a folder and a booklet for visitors. The booklet will be part of a growing series of small publications which EX-MÊKH uses during fairs and other exhibitions. The printing arrived yesterday and in the weekend we will leave for Spain.

And these “New encounters are my part in the booklet!

Teaser

Posted on 7 February 2024 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

EX-MÊKH is preparing for the Hybrid Art Fair and experimenting with their materials. Here some try-outs by Kees Koomen who is looking for a interesting way to present his series of New Encounters The work is intended as an homage to the sketches Goya made in the streets of Madrid and elsewhere. Those drawings and etchings were my favourite artworks in art-school:

Francisco Goya: Este tiene muchos patientes y algunos racionales

Studio Playlist 2023

Posted on 29 January 202429 January 2024 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

Like every year Ron van der Ende invited artists to send their favourite music or sounds they play during artistic work. These Studio Playlists are published on a site he runs, Art BBQ. I participated since 2006 (at least, that’s the oldest I can find) and it’s each time a pleasure to elaborate on the music I play during the year past.

l’Anniversaire de l’art

Posted on 18 January 202418 January 2024 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

Yesterday, art celebrated it’s 1.000.061st birthday at HOK Gallery and a number of other FLUXUS minded galleries all over the world. At HOK a new exhibition had just opened last week, but the festive make-over’s of single-sleeve’s have been naturally integrated in the present show: Long Bord Slaatje, bij Jesus Cinco and Rowan van As. I was able to take part in the anniversary project, and I chose Gilbert Becauds Toi, le musicien to elaborate on further.

Impression of the party atmosphere in the beginning

Het Grote Aanschouwboek

Posted on 11 December 202313 December 2023 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

On saturday December 2 Het Grote Aanschouwboek (The Big Aanschouwbook) was presented, a survey of 22 years of De Aanschouw in the Witte de Withstreet in Rotterdam. De Aanschouw is the smallest art gallery in Rotterdam and in The Netherlands if I am not mistaken. It used to be a display case on the front of a café, De Schouw, which was situated opposite the building in which De Rotterdamse Courant had it’s offices. As soon as the newspaper went to the printer it was put in the display case and the editors went to De Schouw to have a beer and to discuss the contents of the new edition.

The presentation of Het Grote Aanschouwboek took place in a well filled auditorium in TENT, you can see an account of the happening here! The book shows all the exhibitions and artists, weekly changes and the Overschilderschilderijen (overpaintpaintings) of which documentation is still available. We are happy to say that very few is missing. Edo Dijksterhuis wrote a history of De Aanschouw and collected anecdotes can be found in the back of the book. The participation of EX-MÊKH can also be found including a poster of underground member Ben Faydherbe who is responsible for the design of our publicity. An overpaint-painting of EX-MÊKH member Kees Koomen can also be found in the book. The graphic Design of bureau 75B is special for a relatively small book with no less than 1150 pages. It developed into a brickstone-account of a period of art and friendship!

Presentation and auction large drawing RUW #6

Posted on 3 October 20233 October 2023 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

Friday September 29 was the day RUW #6 was presented to the public. It happened during Hoogtij, the two-monthly open platforms evening in Den Haag. For the occasion HOK gallery was available and the editor decided that a large drawing was to be made by all participants in this edition of RUW. This drawing was going to be auctioned on sunday.

The presentation was a succes, many visitors came by to see the new RUW Magazine and not many magazines were left in the end. You can find an account of the opening here!

My contribution to RUW #6: La hora santa (coloourpencil, oilstick, ashes)

Then sunday the auction of the large drawing took place. It did not draw a lot of attention but those who came were a motivated public. After some useless attempts of the auctioneer Geert Schriever to sell the drawing as a whole details of the drawing were offered for which two ladies showed the formats with wooden angles. This worked better and the afternoon ended with a positive amount of money on the account and everybody enjoying a glass of wine.

The text in charcoal on paint is my personal contribution

RUW

Equinox

Posted on 28 September 20232 October 2023 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

Equinox was a succes with more then twenty performers on the Hof in Dordrecht. There were moments that the atmosphere was beautiful in slow movements with colour and sound.
My own performance existed of soundbytes that I spread out over the square by speaking them out to people, by writing them on little scraps of paper and hiding them on the square and by listening for sounds of the past on different places of the historic square. The soundbytes were pieces of conversation or cries that I noted during my project Walks to the Malieveld. You can find an account of the afternoon here! And a video by Steef van Lent can be found here!

I did also make two sketches of performers which you can see here:

A woman manipulating textiles (Marita Bulman)

222lodge

RUW #6

Posted on 19 September 202319 September 2023 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

RUW