Public domain

  • We are here: a book about the people on my artworks, pics and interviews.
  • Mooimakers: Noord Sider-, a mascot and symbol for the North of Amsterdam
  • Mooimakers; We are here!, a project for the North of Amsterdam initiated by the municipality
  • Water reflections. IJplein Amsterdam Photo project 2021
  • Concept Porch, Amsterdam, 2019-2020 (not executed)
  • L’Adieu Solitaire a stop motion film on music fromThomas Geerts (Vimeo/Youtube) 2020
  • Greetings from… community art project, Purmerend 2017
  • Long Live Art! community art project, Landsmeer 2016
  • Diversity in one. Graphic scores, community art project, Amsterdam
  • Graffitty wall, the first legal graffity wall in the world. Utrecht 1981

Mooimakers: the final works

There are two version the recent one on a background of the environment now and the historical ones on the historical background,

Thanks for helping Amsterdam Archive and Historical Centrum Noord.

We are here! The now.
We are here! Historical version

For this historical version I asked the inhabitants to sent me photos of their (great) grand parents. I got photos sent to me from all directions. O.a. Marokko. The idea that somewhere these young men were sitting with their family, talking and looking at there family history was a nice part of the proces.

A special part of this work is also two girls friend sitting together. One was deported and murdered in the gas chambers of the Germans soon after it was taken. Now she had a special place for remembrance outside.

Mooimakers: Noord-Sider

Almost finished

Noord Sider is design for a Mascot imaging the North of Amsterdam. As the young men who live in the North now call themselves Noord-Siders that became also the name of it. It has all kind of references like the Ferry, the waterlilies and fishes and “the arm” is a peat shovel. It is wearing the cap of a workman form the 1930 tees who worked in the harbours and shipbuilding in Amsterdam Noord. I would like to think of it as a male/female figure The print of it will be huge and shown and is acquired by Property Rochdale!

Mooimakers: We are here!

Some of the neighbours that were part of the idea. For instance the one liner We are here comes from them. I asked them about their life motto. And in I asked them what would be a good goal for the project. Their answer was to communicate and connect! I love that. Thanks!

I drew many of our inhabitants and worked with a group from the North to define the theme. Also I asked my neighbours if they could sent me a picture of their great – or grandparents. My idea is; wherever you go you will always take your history and the ones you loved with you. It would also be nice to see the different cultures as there are many here!

The now side of the North Amsterdam

The old side of the North of Amsterdam

sketch visual, research

Thanks to: All my beautiful neighbours who cooperated so enthusiastically, Eva and The Municipality of Amsterdam, Property Rochdale, Woningstichting Eigen Haard, Historisch Archief Noord, Amsterdams Historisch Archief, Huis van de wijk De Meeuw.

Water reflection

Porch

L’Adieu Solitaire – Thomas Geerts en Henk Fakkeldij

Music written by Thomas Geerts for the remembrance of his departed aunt. Animation by me.

Greetings From…

This is a community-art assignment via Cultuurhuis Wherelant. The work was created by the inhabitants of the Weteringstraat, people form an elderly home and people with mental disturbance, from the Prinsenstichting. It was great fun to work with all these people, guide them with their drawings and finally make everything come together in the big printed painting.

Long Live Art!

23 Meter (905,5 Inch) art on the windows of a Cultural Centre for seniors. The assignment was to create work in relation to the work the seniors had made themselves. The final works are sticker prints on glass windows. I created a 3D effect with nature as theme and made it colourful as the surrounding was just grey buildings and a parking lot.

Design over the whole length
Design over the whole length of the building
Images on the building
Images on the building
During the opening
A detail
A detail
A detail

Diversity in one

This project was created in cooperation with the IJplein school and the Music street. The goal was to bring the children in contact with the music and instruments. and to make them proud of their neighbourhood. Every week a new musician would come to the school. The children would draw and made little clay models based on the music. The next week I would order these images and asked the new musician to play this graphic score.

Finally I created these big art pieces which hang now outside on houses in the North of Amsterdam.

During the opening a musician composed a song based on the final works and hundreds of children were singing it outside while the band was playing.

The final works, collages digitally made. Size 450 x 350 cm.

Part of the process, and the opening.

Graffiti wall

I created the first legal graffiti wall in Utrecht at the Mariaplaats during the 80 tees. It was before I went to the Rietveld Art Academie. I was making a sort of free background for a bigger art-piece. It was becoming a nice structure.

Than the wall was stolen. From what I heard it was put in a discotheque. I reported it stolen at the police. I had it valued for fl 20.000,- That was a problem as the officer stated: You can only charge the paint. I asked him if you would buy a Rembrandt do you think you would also pay for the paint only?