Rijks Museum - Amsterdam, Netherlands

January 01, 2017 by Emily Bruff

On my way back from my trip to visit my friends, Robert and Teague in Angola, Africa I returned to Amsterdam on a layover - which was fortunate because I needed another whole day to explore the canals and the Rijks Museum.

Sunflowers outside the Amsterdam Airport

I used the morning to make my way from the airport back to the Museumplein Square where I could catch a ferry for a tour of the city. It was a hop on-hop off ferry and I was able to stop for a bagel at the little cafe below Anne Frank’s House. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to tour her house as well as the Rijks in my short time there, but it was still an immensely strange feeling to stand on the cobble-stoned street that she must have walked on, and stare at the buildings she must have looked at from her window.

Amsterdam is a beautiful city to explore. There is so much interesting architecture, quaint little house boats, and bikes and wi-fi everywhere! It was really fun to just absorb all the sights while floating down the canal.

The Rijks building would be an incredible site even if it wasn’t filled with over 800 years of Dutch art and history.

I could have spent a week walking all 80 rooms and still would not have been able to study each piece the way I wanted. Even if you are unfamiliar with Dutch art, you most likely have seen a Rembrandt or Vermeer. These are the iconic masters of seventeenth century Dutch art and, forgive me for being a broken record, I did not fully appreciate the incredible brilliance of Rembrandt until I stepped in front of Night Watch, 1642.

Although I have taught about this painting for years in my various art history classes, I had not seen it in person. It stands at an imposing 11’11” x 14’ 4”. It is a group portrait of the company of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch, who appear in the front. I love this piece for it’s dynamic composition. It’s not nearly as flat as other Dutch portraits. There are so many characters moving around, some positioned with great prominence, and others I can barely see.

It’s thought that Rembrandt added his own portrait in between the company’s standard bearer and the man with the shiny helmet. I can only see his eye, which really cracks me up.

Everyone is looking different directions forcing my eyes to dart all over the canvas. Rembrandt's’ signature use of chiaroscuro (dramatic lighting) creates an emphatic statement of importance on the men in the center. But with all the controlled chaos of this composition it felt tight, even awkward, and I started to wonder about the size. After reading the plaque I discovered it had been TRIMMED (*gasp*) in 1715 when it was moved to the Amsterdam Town Hall. Just like the Mona Lisa was trimmed to fit an expensive frame the owner already possessed, Night Watch was trimmed on all sides to fit the space in which they wanted to hang it. My throat starts to close up just thinking of this travesty. I can only imagine how much more impressive it must have been before it was trimmed.

I did a lot of sketching at the Rijks because it seemed like they didn’t want you to take pictures, although, when there were mobs of people doing so the guards had given up that battle. So I took advantage of the mobs when I could.

This was one of my favorite pieces, but was a mystery. I could not find a plaque and didn’t find it in the guidebook.

It was fascinating. Aside from being enormous, the textures and values were made from what looked like large cat claws. I couldn’t stop studying it. It was suspended in midair in the Atrium but I could only see the front of it from the Passage. After tweeting @rijksmuseum they introduced me to the artist, Giuseppe Penone. This is his Spine d'acacia and is made with acacia thorns! Brilliantly fascinating.

Again, the building alone would have been worth the visit. The Passage was just what it sounded like - a road passage that went through the Rijks Museum. Street performers could look through the huge windows into the Atrium while they were entertaining the bicyclists and pedestrians as they passed through.

Someone once described the feeling of being overstimulated in a gallery like the sensation of too many skittles in your mouth. All good things - just a lot to take in at once. This is the best way I know to explain the Rijks. All good things. I wish I could have taken it in more slowly.

Fernando - Huambo, Angola

December 05, 2016 by Emily Bruff

One great experience in Huambo was meeting artist, Fernando Tambula Mona at his Art gallery called "Atelier e Galeria" located in Cidade Alta on Avenida Norton De Matos. He is a member of UNAP - União Nacional de Artistas e Plasticas.

His studio was the lobby of an old hotel with amazing light and a fascinating old elevator shaft, where he liked to paint. Talking with him about his art process proved to be a bit difficult because my translators were nurses by trade and were not familiar with many of the terms he was using. But thankfully we were able to spend several hours with him over a couple of days and I believe we were able to learn a lot about each other in spite of the language barrier.

He worked mainly with oil on canvas, but incorporated a lot of mixed media like wood shavings and sand with gel medium or resin.

First layer of a mixed media piece using wood shavings and resin

Fernando grew up in the artist markets of Luanda and studied at an art school in the Congo for 4 years. His work is very textural, thick with impasto, creating highly abstracted figures. The generous application of paint is even more impressive when I think about the scarcity of his supplies. Quality oil paint is not available in Huambo and so he must acquire it from Luanda, a 10 hour drive away. This has only enhanced his innovation for supplementation, however.

He showed me soda cans filled with oil-based ink used for fountain pens that he procured from a local business. Fernando’s work is rich with thoughtful symbolism.

This is my favorite piece, which I happily bought from him. It shows women at work, with swirling marks and vibrant colors symbolizing the fast paced energy of the market. A strength and moxy is shown in the repetition of items carried on their heads and symbolizes the determination to earn a living and care for their families, yet softly formed are their feminine figures. I enjoyed this respectful and almost awe-inspired perspective of women from a male artist. Fernando was so kind and welcoming to me and was incredibly driven in his work.

When I told him about my International Art Exchange project, he got to work that very night and came up with this amazing contribution.

You can see on the left the tools of Umbundu women's work, like the mortar and pestle used to grind cornflour. On the right are tools of Umbundu men's work, like a bow & arrow, hammer and machete. These tiny clay sculptures are laid on a layer of sand coated in resin to represent the dusty environment of Angola.

As we talked several other artists filtered in and out. While most of the work in his gallery is his own, he provides a space for other community artists to sell their work as well.

Fernando is an impressive and talented entrepreneur. He has been commissioned to do several murals for businesses around Angola, he has sold about a dozen works to at least one gallery owner in the states and he was even introduced to the Angolan Minister of Culture. I was honored to spend so much time with him to listen and learn about his work and technique.

Fernando gave me a gift of a tiny painted bird made from a pine cone.

van Gogh Museum - Amsterdam

September 04, 2016 by Emily Bruff

On my way to Angola I was fortunate enough to have a layover in Amsterdam. I made my way to the van Gogh Museum first.

After starting this sentence over a dozen times, I realize there really isn't a way to explain how amazing seeing art in person is. The textures, the colors, seeing the impasto stand almost an inch off the canvas....just fantastic. Impasto is when paint is layered super thick building up the literal texture of the paint. It is impossible to see from a photograph. This is why van Gogh's paintings are only a fraction as impressive in books and reproductions as they are in person. He also painted wet on wet--meaning he didn't wait for the paint to dry before putting on another layer. Seeing the layers and vivid colors right next to each other was breathtaking. The decisive brush strokes and control he had to keep his oil paints from muddying (getting all mixed up and turning brown) is really incredible.

There was one piece, I think called Overgrowth, that reminded me of Kudzu in Alabama. I'd never seen it before and in fact the museum store didn't have a post card of it either. Even though it is featured in the front of my museum guide it doesn't list it's name or give any information about it. (Which is why I felt justified in taking it's picture--totally not allowed!)

I wish so much that I could convey the textures and colors that pop off the canvas. Bright blues and purples right next to yellows and lime greens. Huge globs of paint that looked to be squeezed right out of the tube and laid down with wonderfully messy precision.

Although his paintings look quick and loose, he planned nearly every mark. There were scores of sketches and plans in books along with letters to his brother.

Left: Irises Right: Overgrowth — Left: *Irises* Right: *Overgrowth*

There were not only van Gogh pieces in his museum. There were artists that were his contemporaries as well as his influences. This was one of the most overwhelming sights with Monet, Degas, Pissarro, Manet and a Rodin sculpture (not necessarily in that order or pictured) in one room.

In addition to the amazing art, the barista gave me a "longa" espresso for free! (I must have looked really tired). There was a great balcony view of Amsterdam at the top of the museum.