The works of Dutch Caribbean artist Johannes Boekhoudt were introduced to Dallas art lovers two years ago in a solo show at Mary Tom?s Gallery?a first for the Dragon Street venue. Quiet collectors responded to the abstract expressionist?s paintings and works on paper, impelling the viewer to consider his acute sense of social and political awareness. As an impassioned artist, pattern and color flocked these large-scale canvases in this exhibition, An Artist Of Consequence. Patron covered the newcomer in a feature about a trio of important Latin American artists living and working in North Texas, including Benito Huerta and Francisco Moreno. A strong contributor to the cultural conversation, Moreno will open his own solo show this weekend at Erin Cluley Gallery.
Boekhoudt?s newest works continue with largely autobiographical themes that depict life experiences or evaluate societal contexts. In his solo show, Set Me Free, opening on Saturday at Mary Tom?s Gallery, his body of work offers a predominantly limited color palette of gray, taupe, black, and white, where the tone becomes a bit more subdued and contemplative.
?We recognized the fervor in Johannes Boekhoudt?s large-scale paintings upon our first meeting in 2013. Since then, Boekhoudt?s work has graced the walls of many of Dallas?s finest homes and collections, including his piece titled Mother and Child recently added to the Biblical Arts Museum of Dallas?s permanent collection,? describes gallerist Mary Tom?s. The gallery is nuanced in its dedication ?to bring the contemporary Latin American voice to patrons and collectors, as we feel it is largely untapped in Dallas.?
?To have the liberty to paint what I want and the opportunity to enjoy freedom of expression fuels me. My voice is raised through my art to encourage others to be free? Free to express their own desires,? Boekhoudt enthuses. Patron had an opportunity to catch up with the artist on the brink of his Saturday opening.
Terri Provencal: Johannes, you?ve enjoyed a long illustrious career with particular notoriety in Latin America. Define the vocabulary of your artwork.
Johannes Boekhoudt: ?I consider myself an artist that expresses what he feels as he feels it. Through the abstract nature of my work, I present the language that I understand. If there is true reflection, then this language is clear to those that understand my palette and artwork. The abstract expressionism has been ingrained in me since birth; I do not conceive of this in any other way. To understand my artwork is a call for imagination.
?It is beneficial that the art critic can analyze my artwork and create a discussion, and I leave this to them. But I simply paint what I am willed to paint. I ask for nothing; what I simply offer is the opportunity to join me in my artistic world. Nonetheless, art is a lie; a lie that compels us even though my truth will not necessarily be yours.?
Please tell us about the new collection.
?Set Me Free is my personal need to feel genuinely free. The stroke of the brush dances along the canvas in a certain movement guided by the paint in unlimited directions. By having the liberty of expression on the canvas, I am seeking to overtake the bull with one good lance. I give the canvas all I have and she, in turn, is grateful and holds on to the strokes and emphasizes the colors that were created for this specific occasion.
?As an artist, I am obtaining my liberty while inviting everyone to adopt the idea of feeling free within society; there is an honest need for introspection, reflection, and visualization towards the goals we want to reach in our lives. I utilize art to construct ideas and criticisms. The need to create communication and comprehension through art drives ingenuity in a different and direct manner.?
With the exception of Materia, Untitled No. 001588, Origen, and Give Me Your Hand, your bold signature color palette has been removed. Please tell us why this series is more tone-on-tone and subdued.
?My color palette comes about in one specific moment in time. The rhythm and fluidity of the strokes guide me into the infinite spectrum of colors and ideas. Most likely, my emotional state is what drives this specific moment in time, which can alter the color palette. Several of the artworks in this series possess a colder color palette, which I found necessary to rest my mind and vision from the impact of the bold tones used in other artworks. Again, if my emotional state and the theme of the work itself demand a subtler palette, so be it. The artworks with the colder color palette demonstrate the range and complexity of an artist?s mind.?
What has been your most inspired time as an artist?
?I do not believe that I have reached this point as of yet. The themes that I have worked with throughout these years have caused much internal strife. Themes that bring to light the difficult realities of our world are truly humbling and cause one to feel fragility and vulnerability. An example is the series ?Children of War.? The creation of this particular collection caused me much pain, since I first had to investigate and try to digest the incomprehensible problem in Sierra Leone, where children are forced to abandon their childhood and trade their toys for weapons. This was a difficult series that still has left emotional scars. Therefore, I cannot identify a certain timeline for inspiration. Inspiration, in itself, is spontaneous, and my mind ignites as I work with the canvas. Currently, I am captivated by the images and reality of the exodus from Syria to Europe, which has caused senseless deaths of children and families, which needs to stop.?
Acknowledgement of Latin American artists in North Texas is mounting. How do you feel Dallas is doing in embracing Latin American art and providing exhibition opportunities?
?I think that it is excellent that in our own Dallas area we are seeing an increase in opportunities for Latin American artists. I also feel that this is beneficial for the art collectors that wish to embrace that art is truly universal.
?New eras always bring new ideas. I am convinced that the Latin American artist and the collector should come together to discuss this genre of artwork. Both parties have a vested interest in the artwork?s message and the promotion of art as an active part of our community. Dallas is growing quickly and with this fast change, there is also a growth in the interest to obtain professional artwork. I feel that Dallas is seeking more cultural influences, and I believe that it is time that Dallas has a Latin American Art museum. Dallas is a truly multicultural metropolis and I believe that art is a medium that allows for education of the many cultures that we embrace. The newer generations here in Dallas need to see more Latin American art to gain perspective on the influence of these cultures on their own lives.
?A Latin American museum here in Dallas would increase the interest for art collectors to seek Dallas as a prominent source of quality art. Galleries, such as the Mary Tom?s Gallery, have been showing Latin American art for some time, which has created opportunity for artists such as myself to show our artwork. In the three years that the Mary Tom?s Gallery has represented my art, I have seen change and growth in the interest of the art collector. I must say that the art collectors in Dallas, as in New York, and other areas, have appreciated the variety of exhibitions that Latin American art can provide.?
What museum exhibition in Dallas or Fort Worth has been most meaningful since you moved here?
?Honestly, I have visited the Dallas Museum of Art several times only to feel at home. Believe it or not, I have still not visited the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, although I understand it to be impressive as well. Geographically, the DMA is more accessible for me. Truthfully, I rarely leave my studio, since I need to isolate myself to concentrate on what I am creating. Since I work with an obsessive pace, I do not usually visit specific exhibitions, although I have every intention to do so. Additionally, I travel frequently, promoting my artwork to new gallery and museum venues, and time has become scarce.?
What?s changed since you began your career as an artist? How have you developed personally and professionally?
?I believe that personally, I am basically the same. My personality remains quite determined and stubborn, as always. I still possess the naivety of seeking perfection in my artwork, knowing full well that this does not exist; however, it continues to drive my determination.
?I remember that since I drew as a child and sold my artwork on the streets of Costa Rica, I have had the dream of being heard through the art. My mother introduced me to the art world by showing me pictures of masterpieces in Europe. Since then, even at that age, I knew that I had been born with the gift of being able to use my hands to draw. At this age, I learned about Monet, Manet, Pizarro, and the impressionists of that era. Later, I also learned about Mondrian, Picasso, and Mir?. Finally, I was also drawn to the works of Wifredo Lam, Basquiat, and de Kooning.
?Today, I feel blessed with the success that I have achieved through my art with pieces in both public and private collections around the world. I continue to work towards having my art displayed in other museums around the world, as well. There is something that I must admit has changed?my collaboration with the artwork. With each piece I feel closer and closer to the artwork and become a part of it, which is evident in the autobiographical nature of my art. The themes and the discussions of the art have become more intense. I want the observer to feel this intensity and become as attached to the art as I am. Frankly, I am obsessed with creating the best of the best for whoever wants to enjoy this art with me.
“Lastly, I would like to say nothing more than ‘Duerme el pincel y despierta la obra,’ which means, ‘As I lay the brush down, the painting awakens.'”
Magical things are coming down the road. Johannes don’t stop walking.
Always amazing to watch one impressive piece of art. These incredibly beautiful paintings make our day complete. You have touched the hearts and minds of many Eurpean and Caribbean Art Lovers .
Congrats , your friends Twins Hernandez