Next show - March 3 until 8, 2011 in NEW YORK!!

Impression solo show in Paris

Impression of my solo exhibition at Galerie Tatiana Tournemine in Paris, which ended last weekend.
Galerie Tatiana Tournemine is situated in the beautiful 8th district of Paris, just across the Presidential workshop of Sarkozy.
Rue du Faubourg St.-Honoré is filled with high quality galleries and luxurious shops like Prada and Moschino etc...
I'm very happy to be able to work with this gallery, which also has an affiliate in La Baule, in Normandie, France.
My collaboration with them has been succesful up til now and there's more to come.
It was very nice to meet friends and people who are interested in my art and hear what my art does/means to them.
This is the necessary fuel I need to keep going on! Thank you!!!

For more pictures check my Facebook page:
Esther Barend special visual artist page

Article on FAD about my exhibition in Paris

Today on the homepage..

afterwards in will move on in the list of events.

FAD is a London based art website covering contemporary art news, street art, video,design, etc. We cover new openings,art fairs from around the world and have extensive interviews with artists themselves. As well as news from the London scene we cover Berlin,Paris,New York and even the Asian market. It’s an eclectic mix of cool happening art stuff.

FADwebsite.com is also a member of Culture Pundits, an advertising network of art and culture websites. Visit the website for more information.

http://www.fadwebsite.com/

 
http://www.fadwebsite.com/2011/01/31/esther-barend-at-gallery-tatiana-paris-from-monday-january-31st-2011/

RUNNING NOW:

My solo exhibition at
Galerie Tatiana Tournemine
104, Rue du Faubourg St.-Honoré
75008 PARIS - France
www.tournemine.com

until Saturday Feb. 5 - 19.00 hours.

Opening hours:
Monday until Saturday
11-14.00 hours
15-19.00 hours

Detailed close up of "Exhibitory", 120x150 cm

present at Galerie Tatiana Tournemine

Lovely rendez-vous in Paris

Only a flying visit to Paris, in connection with my upcoming exhibition there, but as always I have a lot of fun with my friend Amelia (who lives there). We accidentally met fellow artist Carine Aelterman  (Gallery Tatiana Tournemine) at the chic Bristol hotel and had lunch with music composer Bernard Swell (a.o. soundtrack of the movie CALVET) at La Fourmi in Pigalle - Paris.

Check www.tournemine.com (my Parisian gallery) for Carine’s and my work and exhibitions

Check www.edithprogue.com for Bernard Swells’ extraordinary beautiful music.

An overcrowded opening!

Karin van de Walle and me in front of one of her sculptures

This beautiful Sunday afternoon we went to Vught (near 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands) to the opening of an exhibition of my colleague-friend Karin van de Walle. 

We both work with Gallery Delfi Form and Gallery Tracé in the Netherlands.
Karin makes wonderful sculptures, very recognizable as real Van de Walle's in bronze and ceramics, from small to huge!
Gallery Van Loon & Simons represents Karin's work since a couple of years and now there was a big opening.
I mean really  B I G  !!!!
I was very impressed!
Not only by the business instinct and passion of the young owners, not only by their beautiful gallery, but also by the number of visitors.
It's been a long time that I've seen so many people crowded on the opening of an exhibition.
We had to wait to be able to enter the gallery (a big old mansion) and next we had to queue up, through the entire gallery.
We had hardly entered when we already saw several red dots (which means that the piece of art has been sold) next to Karin's sculptures.
The exhibition was a trio of Karin's sculptures, paintings of Marta Jedrysko and chocolate sculptures (YES!!!) of Arthur de Rouw.
There even were chocolate sculptures of one of Karin's sculptures.
Karin has outdone herself. I love to see the evolution she keeps on making, everytime again.

If you want to see her art for real, I absolutely recommend to visit this exhibition at the beautiful Gallery Van Loon & Simons, with it's very friendly staff and great collection of artists.
Don't forget to visit the beautiful, large garden with sculptures!
For more info: www.vanloonensimons.com .

Solo show in Paris - starting Jan. 31

Plagiary or search for inspiration?

I can check the statistics on my website and blog. It is interesting to see from which parts of the world people are interested in my paintings.
Most viewers come from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, U.K., Brazil and the United States. Last year I've been visited by inhabitants of 68 countries worldwide.
Not bad. The visitors can be overall divided in art-lovers, art-students and artists.
Besides the countries, I can also see from which town people come.
I noticed that there are regular visitors. Even visitors who visit me on a daily basis.
I've had a few plagiary cases on my work in the past, so I'm more cautious on this.

I'm happy when art-lovers discover my work through the internet. They can see if there's a gallery in their neighbourhood where they can see my art for real or check if there will be an exhibition soon.
It's great to be an inspiration to art-students. It's a compliment when students see me/my art as a role model.
It's nice to be of inspiration to other artists. Artistic recognition is important to every artist.
It's not nice when someone who tries to be an artist/calls himself an artist, and in the meantime he/she tries to steal someone else's style/composition etc... and even tries to sell the pieces.
Some people say it's a compliment when people try to copy your art. Yes and no.
Yes it's a compliment if someone appreciates your art so much that he/she would have wanted to be the creator of it.
But if someones tries to earn his/her living with your style... you will think different about it!

My art is protected with copyright. I won a big case 3 years ago. Also I discovered a few wannabee artists who tried to copy some of my paintings and tried to sell it on the internet.
Fortunately the copies were bad extracts of the originals. But nevertheless, it's not nice to see someone tries to earn money with your creations.
If it was only to hang it on their own walls, I wouldn't care.

My advise to artists on the hunt for new ideas: experiment..... experiment.... experiment.... paint as much as you can, and develop your own style this way!
You will feel so much better having your own style, rather than stealing it from someone else. Creation from the heart is the only true one!

In the meantime I keep on developing. My art evolves because I've got this drive, an unstoppable urge to paint and keep on amazing myself and hopefully others too!

This is about more than art alone, this is about FREEDOM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What about U.S.' FIRST AMENDMENT??????

STOP THE CENSORSHIP!!!!

U.S. Constitution: First Amendment - Religion and Expression:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

---------

The world is getting more and more radical.

This is about more than art alone, this is about freedom.
http://artpositive.org/

Principles and questioning....

Yes... I am self-opinionated and self-conscious.
It is not that I think I have a monopoly on wisdom, on the contrary!
Most things that come on my path I pull into question.
Not life itself, nor earth, nor the universe.
In order not to become insane, I've accepted life for what it is and I focus as much as I can on the advantages of it and on the wonders of mother nature.
What I do question is what people do, think, say, create, (try to) force upon others and why people do things/act/follow (sometimes blindly) because of the simple explanation: 'everybody does it'.
Especially the last part frightens me. I don't want to do things because everybody does it. Even as a child I already chose to take the other path.

Last Monday I saw an interview with Antanas Mockus, by Raoul Heertje (my compliments!) in the series 'Wintergasten'. Mockus is an eccentric mathematician and philosopher (known for his mooning-incident) who was the mayor of Bogota, Columbia, leading this town VERY succesfully in his own very unconventional way.
Not only did he make short work of the ruling corruption and cronyism. By following his own principles and using his imagination and perseverance, he for example succesfully introduced mimes as traffic controllers (dreadfully declining the amount of casualties). You don't believe your eyes... but it is true!

This is only one of the many changes he accomplished.
He was a candidate for the presidential elections in Colombia. Short before the elections he was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease. According to his principles he informed the people.
He ended 2nd in the race.

This man is a hero to me... I feel deep admiration.
When you see him, you would not think that this soft intellectual nerd would be capable of changing the world around him.
But he is....
He is an example to me.
Never be afraid to question!
Never be afraid to look beyond your own imagination.

For everyone who is interested and can receive Dutch public television: the interview will be repeated on January 1, 13.55, Ned. 2, VPRO
It's in English (with subtitles)

Highly recommended!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Upcoming solo exhibition in Paris - Galerie Tatiana Tournemine

I've been working succesfully with Galerie Tatiana Tournemine in Paris - France since the beginning of this year.
Soon there will be a spotlight on 4 female abstractionists and I'm one of them.
Each artist will have a short solo exhibition in the cycle 'abstraction au feminin', which takes place from Jan. 17 until Feb. 12 - 2011.

My solo show will be from January 31 until February 5.

Daily opening hours: 11-14.00 h and 15-19.00 hours (Monday until Saturday)
Galerie Tatiana Tournemine, 104, Rue du Faubourg St. Honoré in Paris, France.

The gallery is located across Palais de l'Elysée (the president's workshop), which lies just in between of the Champs Elysée and Boulevard Haussmann (with the famous Lafayette and Le Printemps).
http://maps.google.fr/maps

So if you happen to be in Paris by then, or your live in the neighbourhood, you are more than welcome!

The whites of the winter

Since the end of November the snow dominates our landscape.

The change of the seasons is an everlasting inspiration to me. I love the changing colors. I love what it does with the landscape.

The whites of the winter, in combination with the blue skies, the colors of the forest and the sun casting a warm light on nature is enchanting to me. It makes me feel like living in a fairytale.

I prefer a warm climate, but time and again I'm amazed about mother nature's wonders!

The mini-me collection

I have been painting a collection of very small paintings.

Acrylics on heavy linen

10x15 cm each, framed!

On the combination of pictures you can see the relief/the layers... it's just like the large paintings.

My art on other art blogs!

Daily Art Fixx, one of my favourite art blogs from all over the world, did a piece on my art for the 3rd time in 1,5 years!!

I feel very honored, because I love the taste of the Wendy Campbell, the Canadian art blogger. 

She's got a great collection of artists on her blog, which is read world wide!

If you love to discover new art, I highly recommend her blog!

http://www.dailyartfixx.com/2010/12/14/esther-barend-abstract-and-portable-art/

I also received a message from a fan that one of my paintings was shown on another art blog

http://www.rojo-magazine.com/public-daily/page/7/

I must say, I'm very happy I got this alert, because I really like this blog.

There is so much wonderful art to discover in the world!

LINEART-VISITORS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HEART WARMING REACTIONS

It is true... the snow and slippery roads kept a lot of potential visitors from coming to Lineart.
The amount of visitors on Saturday can be compared with what normally is expected on a Friday.
Sunday was busier, although not like on a usual Lineart-Sunday (when people used to throng the fair, anyway during the last decades)
But... I spoke to a lot of visitors at the booth of Gallery ART-ist, and the reactions were more than heart warming.
I feel overwhelmed by the enthusiastic and awesome comments and the time people took to tell me about how the experience my art.
They don't know how much this means to me, but I'm very grateful for every comment and sign of appreciation.
I don't want to brag, but when people (apart from one another) tell you that your paintings are one of the most innovative they've seen on Lineart and that they are touched by the composition, dynamics and combination of colors... I can tell you from experience: it moves you.
I can feel my wings growing.

LINEART can still be visited, today and tomorrow:
Monday Dec 6. 11.00 - 10.00 pm
Tuesday Dec 7. 11.00 - 07.00 pm
I will not be attending the booth of Gallery ART-ist, but the gallery owners will give you a warm welcome.

Overall it's absolutely worthwhile to visit this fair.

Lineart
Flanders Expo
Ghent - Belgium
www.lineart.be

Opening LINEART 2010

The cold, ice and snow played spoil-sport for the opening of the 29th edition of LINEART yesterday.
Fortunately not everyone stayed at home and at one point there were a lot of people.
But on the previous openings of Lineart it was much busier.
Nevertheless... the booth of Gallery ART-ist looks great and the quality of the offered art overall on Lineart is high.

So, if you are curious take your car, or go by train, bus or tram.
Flanders Expo, Gent - Belgium (the location of Lineart) can be reached very easily by public transport.

Opening hours:

Friday Dec 3. 11.00 - 10.00 pm
Saturday Dec 4. 11.00 - 07.00 pm
Sunday Dec 5. 11.00 - 07.00 pm
Monday Dec 6. 11.00 - 10.00 pm
Tuesday Dec 7. 11.00 - 07.00 pm

Curious for more pictures? Check my visual-artist page on Facebook

New ART-BAGS and new PAINTINGS

My website has been updated with several new paintings.
Some of them will be exhibited in a few days on LINEART 2010, Gent - Belgium, booth 1461 of Gallery ART-ist. (www.lineart.be)

Also, when you click the button PROJECTS, you will see new art-bags.
I finally found the time to photograph them in a proper way.
For more info on the art-bags you can contact me.

Finally, the website on CALVET the movie is online!

click on the picture if you want to go to the website! 

I've been very curious but finally the website on CALVET - the movie about fellow artist Jean Marc Calvet (Monkdogz Urban Art Gallery) is online.

The movie tells the extraordinary story of Jean Marc Calvet.
You can watch the trailer, hear some beautiful pieces of the soundtrack, read the very impressive Director's note,
view the paintings of Jean Marc... and next... I assure you, you really want to see this movie!!!!

Sheer delight

Detail of Sheer Delight, diptych 120x50 cm

I've locked myself in my studio for the past 10 days. During the last 5 days I've been working at least 12 hours a day.
My eyes are exhausted of being focussed all the time and the bright colors are dancing in front of me.
Not 2, but 3 new paintings came out. The last one is not dry yet. It had to be painted, I just had to spit it out.
It amazes me how restless I can get, how big the urge can become... strange beings we humans are!
Satisfied with the result I can lay back today and the rest of the weekend...
 

LINEART is in sight

That is why I locked myself in my studio. I'm working very hard on 2 new paintings which have to complete my exhibition at this renown international art fair.

Gallery ART-ist has a spacious booth and will present 10 to 12 of my recent paintings.

Lineart, December 2: special opening night.

December 3 until 7:

Flanders Expo, Gent - Belgium

INVITATION to Lineart 2010!

From December 2 until December 7 - 2010, my art will be presented on LINEART 2010, the international fusion art fair, in Gent, Belgium.

Gallery ART-ist, Geel - Belgium, will represent my art on the 29th edition of this renown art fair.

You are kindly invited!

I've got several free entrance tickets, so contact me if you want one.

I hope to meet you there!

(ABSENCE of) Art can change the world!

In the Netherlands the government has plans to save 220 million euros on art and culture.
In Belgium they are talking about savings of only 14 million.

Of course, there's an economic crisis going on and there have to be savings in every sector.
No doubt that it is a great plan to reconsider every given subsidy in every sector.
I can only hope that a mixed committee will be composed of people who really know how important arts and cultural issues are to reconsider every given subsidy.
I never received any payment at all from the government. I've been self supporting all the time.
But, if the government would not have given subsidy to the art academy where I've studied, I would not have been able to study art, I would not have been able to do what I do right now.

Savings of 220 million euros in a small country like the Netherlands is absolutely ridiculous.
The people who suggested this plan don't have the faintest idea what the consequences of this outrageous plan will be.
They don't know how important art and culture are to a large group of people, consciously and unconsciously.

Don't those members of the government
-ever get goose bumps when they hear a beautiful piece of music?
-know that creating art, whether the quality is good or bad, has an enormous therapeutical effect?
-know that music/art/film/education in arts helps to reduce medical costs, because of their therapeutical effects?
-love watching a good movie/series on TV/play which is typical for their own country/culture or is innovative/touching etc...?
-know that art can change the world?

And this is what is ON the painting

Well... not the whole painting but a detailed close up of the painting 'A peek into Paradise', 220x80 cm.

I think it looks much better than the smutty emulsion that was on my hands, the rags and my palette.

Smutty Esther and her tools

The result after a day of painting.

Well... that what is NOT on the painting, but what's left.

I'm going to take a long shower!

'Je comprenais ce language'

CALVET 2' Trailer from Dominic Allan on Vimeo.

Today the trailer of CALVET was released!
Jean Marc Calvet is my fellow artist at Monkdogz Urban Art Gallery in New York City. He's a self-educated autonomous artist who started painting about 8 years ago....
Via a terrifying trip to hell and back, Jean Marc Calvet was given a second chance at life, and now a successful artist on a quest for redemption, he embarks on an extraordinary journey to make peace with his past. Dominic Allan is the director of this movie. Edith Progue is the music-master.

The last time I saw some of Jean Marc's paintings for real is about 2 years ago. Back then it was already impressing. But having followed his evolution I can see the progress and I like very much what I see. It's GOOOOD! I love the shadows in his work, I love the playing with the layers... it makes it deeper, more intens, just like life itself is.
  
I'm very curious for the movie!

Watch out for it!

One of those days...

Today is one of those days that I'm not at ease with myself and painting is not satisfying me.
Fortunately I do not have many of those days. So if it happens I don't fight it, but accept my 'off-day' after a short struggle with myself.
Clear my head, reading, taking a walk... it all helps. And feel-good-things too!
One of my friends recently sent me the link to a very inspiring short movie.
One which shows that one can be creative, even despite the worst imaginable problems.
Take only 20 minutes of your time to watch it... it will  enrich you.
 

Wait 10 seconds, the film will start automatically.

"The greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph"

Blooom - photo-review!

I had a great time with ARTISHOX Art Gallery at BLOOOM, the creative industries art show, part of the world famous ART fair 21 in the Staatenhaus am Rheinpark in Cologne, Germany. Thursday at 15.00 hours the first visitors arrived and this party went on until Monday evening 20.00 hours.

What a great atmosphere at BLOOOM. I met so many lovely people... this really makes me feel so good. It was exhausting, 5 days on a row... but the great reactions gave me wings, time after time. Very succesfull!!!

New, new, new....

A new series: A blast of air in full color. While I was working on it, I already fell in love with the paintings...

TIMES SQUARE TO ART SQUARE

Yesterday I saw an item on Dutch national television about a Dutch student (and a large team of assistants) of  who wants to change Times Square into Art Square temporarily. 

Times Square to Art Square Teaser from Times Square to Art Square on Vimeo.

I think this is such an epic idea! If you are interested in participating, donating, etc.. please read the rest on http://www.timessquaretoartsquare.org

Party! - Life is only what you make it

After I've been working very hard on a new collection of Portable-Art, today I finished a diptych. Not a large one, only 140x30 cm/55x12 inch, but nevertheless very laborious.

'Party! - Life is only what you make it'.

Last week Antonie Kamerling, a famous actor in the Netherlands, committed suicide, only 44 years old. I was really shocked.

First there was only the news that he was dead, but I immediately knew he committed suicide. He had something over him, a sort of 'tristesse' below the mask of happiness he wore... Apparently he suffered of depressions. He left behind a wife and 2 young children. I wish them the best. 

Most people don't understand at all. He was talented, good looking, succesful and had everything he wanted, they say... But some things in life are that elusive and incomprehensible that you just have to accept that it is what it is. 

Life is what you make it. So let's celebrate it as much as we can.

 

courtesy of Henk van Kooten

 

 

Why do a lot of Facebookers and LinkedInners want to collect thousands of friends?

I really don't understand and am sincerely interested!

I got myself an account on Facebook in 2007.
At the beginning I tracked down my friends, fellow artists I know in person, people from the past etc..
I was fun to communicate through this medium.
When I received friend-requests from unknown people I refused for the simple reason that I did not know them.
Nowadays most of the time the new connections come through friend-requests I receive.
I post links to my blogposts on Facebook, for the interested friends who wanted to connect themselves, and furthermore I comment on my friends messages. Also there's a bit of teasing and making fun!

I noticed that a lot of people are collecting friends.
I can understand if you admire an artist/popstar/writer/actor/musicians etc..., and you want to follow this person or group.
But what does it bring an average person to have thousands of friends? I'm really curious.
I consider myself an average person. I accepted friend requests from people who want to follow me as an artist, but I'm no Moby or Madonna.
What struck me, is that some fellow artists send requests to everybody, and after you accepted those requests, and became friends, they never show any interest in you.
In my opinion the friendship is more or less forced upon you. And only one-way. It looks a lot like spam.
Some people have no other activity on their wall then their daily completion of new friends.

Why do people collect so many friends through social media?
Is it because one derives their identity from their number of friends?
Or the amount of famous people one is connected to?
Is it opportunism, and trying to ride along with succesful people?
Is it because one thinks one can become sort of famous this way?
Is it for professional marketing purposes? And does this have satisfying results (when you're not already a famous person)
Because if everyone has got thousands of friends, their news feed-page gets stuck with messages from all those people and one can not see the wood for the trees anymore.
One cannot be famous amongst millions of famous people.

What I'm I missing if I don't start collecting lots of friends?

Who has the answers?

Portable-Art collection 2010.

Last year I did a project called Portable-Art.
The idea came up, and after a lot of experimenting a collection of art-bags appeared.
I got really awesome reactions on the art-bags (fully created and manufactured by myself, which cost me days for one bag).
But I got fed up with the very meticulous process of manufacturing and finished the project. Back to my large paintings (what a relief!!!)
However, I still love the idea and still receive great reactions. 2 weeks ago suddenly a new variation arose in my mind and I started experimenting again with new art-bags.
Above a first peek. A close-up of an art-bag of the 2010-collection under construction. The first new bags will be exhibited on BLOOOM, the creative industries art fair in Cologne (Oct 28 - Nov. 1). When the collection is ready I'll add it to the Portable-art page on the Project-page of my website (I need to update the old page).

Living from the heart

Detail from 'The big coalescence'

I'm reading a very interesting book, written bij Ab Straatman. It's about living from the heart (only published in Dutch).
It's full of confirmations about how I think about life (which touches me because I always thought I was a bit crazy concerning this), and of course also new insights.
Interesting is the part about male and female. He writes that on cellular level there is only a tiny difference in the DNA of men and women.
Deep in your soul everyone is masculin and feminin. But deeper, in your subconsciousness, you're neither masculin, nor feminin.
That struck me because I've often experienced that when I'm creating, and I'm in a sort of 'not being around'-mode, it doesn't matter at all who I am, or what I am.
Actually, when I'm in that sort of mode, I do not realize it. It's always afterwards, when I ask myself where I was when the composition was made.
Also, I'm often told that one's thought on first sight was, that my paintings were made by a man. It comes as a surprise that they were created by a woman.
I think that my paintings come from deep within me. From the place where it doesn't matter what you are.
Ab says that your subconsciousness is one of the strongest creating forces in life. In every way! I think it's true.

The big coalescence

It took me all week to paint this new work which consists of about 7 layers.
It's 140x110 cm / 55x43 inch.
'The big coalescence', my expression for unconsciously and consciously wishful thinking for a better world.
I've given up the idealistic idea that this will ever come true, so I create my own world.
And I like it! ;-))

Highly recommended

French painter Jean Marc Calvet, living in Nicaragua, is my highly esteemed fellow-artist at Monkdogz Urban Art Gallery in New York City.
British Director Dominic Allan has made a long feature film about his-everything-but-common-life.
CALVET - redemption from darkness to fame. It will be released in 2011.
Saturday Jean Marc sent a message that the soundtrack of the film was online now.
Curious as I am for the movie, I immediately went to the website of Edith Progue, the micro-classical music composer of this soundtrack who lives and works in Paris.
I listened every track of 'CALVET'... Goose bumps! Especially Aelita. It made me even more curious to view the images which go with the music.
And I just had to discover the rest of Edith Progues music.

Curious too?
Check:
- http://jmcalvet.com/ and watch his paintings
- www.edithprogue.com and listen to his beautiful music
- http://jmcalvet.com/html/proyect.html, to see some pictures made during the production of the film.

- www.monkdogz.com
And of course, go see the film!

Engine of progress

The funny thing with my paintings is, that one often thinks that they are made very quickly.
I think this is because of the movements/dynamics in the painting. But actually it takes several days up to a week (to 2 weeks for a very large one), to create a new painting.
It's been build in lots of layers. When I'm not satisfied with the result of a layer, I have to remove it before it is dry.
It's not like with digital work where you can add or remove layers as much as you like, without damaging the rest of the work.
My latest work, 'Engine of progess', 120x100 cm/ 47x39 inch consists of 7 layers.
This is only a close up of a small detail of the painting.

The first one

A small detail of the first new painting I made in my new studio.
It's a large one. 

The machinery of life cycle, 170x110 cm/77x43 inch, which will be presented on the 29th edition of Lineart, the international fusion art fair in Gent, Belgium by Gallery ART-ist (Geel-Belgium). 

More info on this famous fair on www.lineart.be
I've already started a new one.... yeah!

The bitch is back!

Finally, everything has been installed in my new studio, except for the light (daylight lamps). But since there are large windows, it would only be a problem on dark clouded and rainy days. In a few weeks the lamp-problem will be solved.
Eager as I am, I've already been busy in the last few days creating my first painting in this new environment.
It's a delight to paint again!