Eelco Maan
Excerpt from an interview with Jan Woodward / Novel Hovel Press, summer 2021
As all young children sing, dance, draw and paint, making art apparently is high-wired into our brains. I (re)discovered the whole spectrum of The Arts around the age of 13. Music contained a whole world I hadn’t been aware of. Between the lines of a poem stirred a vista I could have only dreamt of. So, I bought a cheap guitar and I learned to play “The house of the rising sun” and began writing my first songs and lines of poetry. I played in a couple of bands and finished a volume of poetry under the title “Aan de vooravond”.
Little did I know that this was all preparation to eventually becoming a visual artist. Around my 32nd birthday I received from a friend, an amateur artist, as a gift some brushes and some paint. “You just try a bit of painting”, he said, “it will do you good”.
So it did. It felt like coming home at last. Within nine months I had a small gallery show in Amsterdam and sold six of my paintings. I was ready to follow my passion. My voyage into painting had begun.
Strangely enough the process of creation didn’t felt much different from ma- king a poem or composing a song. Whilst the expression differs, the drive of creating comes from the same eternal source. Poets get inspired by paintings. Choreographers and dancers would be non-existent without music. Composers get inspired by literature. Most painters, including myself, have music on while at work in the studio.
Nature as the great inspirator and the same pastoral longing that characterizes my poetry (and that of poets I admire) can be related to my visual work. I guess my background in photography helped in achieving a sense of composition, music in finding harmony and poetry in aiming for the lyrical aspect in painting.
Making Art compels us to explore “Meaning” in the broadest sense of the word and I believe that such explorations are directly linked to a healthy growth in consciousness, empathy and wisdom. The creation of a painting is deeply personal and highly universal at the same time. To a certain extent it is what defines me. It is a way to get a grip on life that, at its core, seems to me as elusive as an abstract painting. It is a way to get access to what I don’t know, to what I have forgotten. To me making art is trying to rediscover something that is missing, something in life that I feel that is or should be there but that remains, most of the time, just out of reach. Making art is like bringing a vision, laying dormant in the soul, to the light of day. In this way, all artists are mystics.
“The dreamers are the saviours of the world. As the visible world is sustained by the invisible, so men, through all their trials and sins and sordid vocations, are nourished by the beautiful visions of their solitary dreamers. Humanity cannot forget its dreamers; it cannot let their ideals fade and die; it lives in them; it knows them as the realities which it shall one day see and know. Composer, sculptor, painter, poet, prophet, sage, these are the makers of the afterworld, the architects of heaven. The world is beautiful because they have lived; without them, labouring humanity would perish.”
– James Allen, “As a man thinketh”, 1903
The way I make art is not something you can learn like, say, a computer program. It’s much more intuitive, and it can be confronting, even very frustrating at times. Time and time again I have to find my own personal translation from soul to vision to matter and make it universal. Not that there is much of Me involved in the creative process, come to think of it. Material Me has to be present to handle the paint and the brushes. But the conscious, thinking Me, Ego Me, better keeps a low profile when the painting is in the making.
I always have cherished the idea of being like an open window through which the great spirit of creation comes flying in and does it’s work.
Q&A
Media
Projects & Collaborations
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PROJECTS/NEW COLLABORATIONS
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FORTHCOMING EXHIBITIONS/EVENTS
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PAST EXHIBITIONS/EVENTS
2021 – 20th – 24th Oct
Battersea Autumn (affordableartfair.com)
2019
Galerie Sille, Oudewater, Netherlands
AFF (Affordable Art Fair) Battersea, London, with Arkley fine Art, UK
Galerie 713, Knokke, Belgium
Galerie de Paardenstal I Espel (Flevoland), Netherlands
2018
Claremont Gallery, 9A London Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, UK
Galerie Sille, Oudewater, Netherlands
Arkley Fine Art, Hitchin, UK
She-Art Gallery, Nuenen, Netherlands
Galerie De Drentsche Aa, Balloo (Drenthe), Netherlands
2017
Galerie de Paardenstal, Espel (Flevoland), Netherlands
Whitestone Gallery, Iaruizawa, Japan
International Art Fair, Sevenoaks, UK
Kolner Liste, Keulen, Germany
Affordable Art Fair Milan, Milan, Italy
2016
Art Fair Asia, Whitestone Gallery, Fukuoka, Japan
Galerie de Paardenstal, Espel (Flevoland), Netherlands
Kunstbeurs Noord Brabant, Lithoijen (Gemeente Oss), Netherlands
Tunbridge Wells International Art Fair with Claremont Gallery, Tunbridge Wells, UK
2015
Galerie Thyade, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Galerie Sille, Oudewater, Netherlands
Claremont Gallery, Sevenoaks, Kent, UK
Kunstbeurs Noord Brabant, Lithoijen (Gemeente Oss), Netherlands
Hotel Pulitzer, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Zandvoorts Museum, Zandvoort, Netherlands
2014
Galerie De Swarte Ram, Doesburg, Netherlands
Galerie Sous Terre, Aalsmeer, Natherlands
SEEART Fair Tunbridge Wells, UK,
Galerie Thyade, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Galerie Sille, Oudewater, Netherlands
Galerie Eclat d’Art, Colmar, France
2013
Galerie “In de oude school”, Stroe, Netherlands
Kunst in de kop, St. Clemenskerk in Steenwijk, Netherlands
Galerie Sous-Terre, Aalsmeer, Netherlands
Atelierroute Steenwijkerland, Netherlands
Galerie 713, Knokke, Belgium
Oxford Arts Festival with Claremont Gallery, UK
Kunstwerk! in de stellingen, Noordwolde, Netherlands
2012
Art Gallery Radeski, Liege, Belgium
Claremont Gallery, Sevenoaks, UK
Galerie Sous Terre, Aalsmeer, Netherlands
Galerie Bruelle, Steenwijk, Netherlands
Atelierroute Steenwijkerland, Netherlands
Kleine kerk Steenwijk, Netherlands
Diaconessenhuis Meppel, Netherlands
Galerie Tolg’Art, Wierden, Netherlands
2011
Galerie de Swarte Ram, Doesburg, Netherlands
Arti 2011, Den Haag, Netherlands
Art Gallery Radeski, Luik, Netherlands
Kunst in de Kop, Steenwijk, Netherlands
Galerie Sous-Terre, Aalsmeer, Netherlands
Cultuurtempel Haarlem, Haarlem, Netherlands
Galerie in de Oude School, Stroe, Netherlands
Galerie Tolg’Art, Wierden, Netherlands
Galerie Miya, Hellevoetsluis, Netherlands
2010
Open Art Fair, Utrecht, Netherlands
Galerie de Vlaming, Den Haag, Netherlands
Galerie Art in Maupertuus, Geulle, Netherlands
Kunstsalon Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands
2009
Galerie in de Oude School, Stroe, Netherlands
Galerie De Swarte Ram, Doesburg, Netherlands
Galerie Thyade, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Galerie Gauguin, (2008/2009) Heeze, Netherlands
2008
Galerie & Artotheek de Vlaming, Den Haag, Netherlands
Galerie Art in Maupertuus, Geulle, Netherlands
Galerie Eikenaar, Burgh Haamstede, Netherlands
Galerie in de Oude School, Stroe (Gelderland), Netherlands
Primavera Kunstsalon, Rotterdam Ahoy, Netherlands
Galerie & Artotheek de Vlaming, Zoetermeer, winterexpositie, Netherlands2007
KUNST Event Arnhem, Netherlands
Hoogeland Gebouw, Utrecht, Netherlands
Galerie & Artotheek de Vlaming, Zoetermeer, zomerexpositie, NetherlandsKunstschouw Westenschouwen, Burgh Haamstede, Netherlands
KUNST Event, Groningen, Netherlands
Galerie Eikenaar, Burgh Haamstede, Netherlands2006
Galerie Pereboom, Oudehorne, Netherlands
Galerie Gauguin, Heeze, Lustrumexpositie, 2006 Galerie Catharina, Hillegom, Netherlands
Holland Art Fair, Den Haag, Netherlands
2005
‘Lourens Pure Luxury’ Event, Koperen Hoogte, Zwolle, Netherlands
Galerie Beeldkracht, Scheemda, Netherlands
2004 – Galerie Gauguin, Heeze, Netherlands
2002
Galerie Gauguin, Heeze, Netherlands
Galerie Beeldkracht, Scheemda, Netherlands
2001
Galerie Erte Art, Echt, Netherlands
De Bewaerschole, Haamstede, Netherlands
Galerie Gauguin, Heeze, Netherlands
Galerie/Atelier Overdevest, Berkel en Rodenrijs, Netherlands
2000
Galerie De Groene Poort, Middenbeemster, Netherlands
Galerie Dingen, Vlaardingen, Netherlands
Galerie Gaugain, Heeze, Netherlands
1999 – Galerie Gaugain, Heeze, Netherlands
1997 – Galerie “De Kunstkelder”, Rotterdam, Netherlands
1995
Pleintheater, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Iran Brazil Art Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amtec Art, Zevenbergen, Netherlands
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PUBLICATIONS
2018 – Eelco Maan, lyrical abstract paintings, Brochure, 12 pagina’s FC, 27 x 21 cm
2012 – Embracing the Light, lyrical abstract paintings, Eelco Maan/Kunstboek, 36 pagina’s FC, 21 x 21 cm, ISBN 978-90-811204-0-1
2010 – TWAALF, Eelco Maan & Hannah de Leeuwe, Gedichten en foto’s, 21 x 21 cm, gebonden, 28 pagina’s, ISBN 978-90-811204-2-5
2010 – Aan de vooravond, Eelco Maan, gedichten, gedichtenbundel / 130 x 190 mm / 56 pagina’s / ISBN 978-90-484-1205-1
2009 – Het universum in de kunst, boek bij gelijknamige tentoonstelling, GalerieThyade, juli 2009 – Galerie Gids Nederland
2008 – December – Tableau Finearts Magazine, (page 99)
2008 – Catalogus Primavera Kunst- en Antieksalon 2008 (page 76)
2008 – Kunstgids Kunstenaars eerste editie ISBN 97-809687-3-8 (pag 164-165)
2006-2007 – Invitation to Art, Kunsttijdschrift, Winter
2006 – In het domein van de Ziel, Eelco Maan, Schilderijen, Kunstboek, 52 pagina’s FC, 21 x 24 cm, ISBN 90-811204-1-7
2006 – Galerie Gids Nederland
2006 – Eelco Maan, Schilderijen, Flyer/ Uitgave tbv. de Holland Art Fair
2005 – Eelco Maan, Schilderijen, Brochure, 16 pagina’s FC, 21 x 21 cm
2003 – Eelco Maan, Works on paper, Brochure, 16 pagina’s FC, 21 x 21 cm
2002 – 1001 Reasons to love the earth /The world Art Collection, Art Book, ISBN 90-80-4045-5-1
2000 – Eelco Maan, Paintings 1994-2000 / 2000, Brochure , 16 pagina’s FC, 21 x 21 cm
1996 – Amtec Art Kunstkalender
1995 – Amtec Art Kunstkalender
1995 – Patrimonium Woningstichting Kunstkalender, (fotografie)
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RESIDENCY
2011 – Atelier Blanchefosse / Art & Development – Blanchefosse et Bay, France
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PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
Business Art Service, Kunst.nl, Nederland
Resort Saraya Bandar Jissah, Oman
Mirror Mirror, Tokyo, Japan
CERN Headquarters London, UK
Verenigd Koninkrijk Royal Courts Oman, Oman
Isala Hospital Meppel, Nederland
Galerie Gauguin , Heeze, Nederland
Galerie Beeldkracht, Nederland
Patrimonium Woningstichting Rotterdam, Nederland
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INTERVIEWS
Interview with contemporary Lyrical Abstract artist Eelco Maan – The Novel Hovel Press