Modern art

Woodcutter, Kazimir Malevich, 1912

A couple of weeks ago I was at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. This is a museum of modern art. I am not a real fan of (too) modern art myself, but I do appreciate certain abstract and modern works.

On the ground floor you could find the artists of the periode 1900-1950. Here they had works by Breitner, Kandinsky, Karel Appel, Picasso and Charley Toorop. They also had a favorite of mine: Malevich. I really like his white-on-white paintings and there was a lot to be enjoyed. They even had one room with drawings by Malevich, very beautiful.
On the ground floor there was also the design department, with furniture, jewelry, kitchen utensils etc.

Supremacy of the mind, Malevich 1920

On the second floor were the artists from the period 1950-now. Here I also saw some good paintings and objects, some very nice, some funny that made me laugh and some beautiful. I really enjoyed the works by Piero Mazoni, who works a lot in white (just like Malevich) and where the lines, the light and the shadows play a large part.

Achrome, Piero Manzoni 1959

But unfortunately, there was also a lot of absolute nonsens. I do not call two dustbins and four lavalmaps in a line 'art', nor a couple of grey tiles on the floor or the photographs of an urinating man. There are certain things I do not even want to see, quite frankly.


Odalisque, Mike Kelley, 2010

There was also a special exhibition by Mike Kelley, but I am afraid I did not like that as well. Some plastic chairs, some toys on the ground and barking and meouwing noises, or objects with a lot of lights and noises are not my idea of fun or beauty. It just made me tired, and not in a good way.


Rosy fingered dawn, Willem de Kooning

Luckily, despite all that, I did see amazing and beautiful things to call it a very succesful visit.