Solitary Creations. 51 Artists out of De Stadshof Collection

Collection book, order at Museum Dr. Guislain’s bookshop (Ghent):

SOLITARY CREATIONS. 51 Artists out of De Stadshof Collection.

Book 328 pages; Euro 29,50

ISBN 9789462260474

Publisher: Lecturis, www.lecturis.nl

Artists/Kunstenaars:

A.C.M., Alexandrine, Philippe Azéma, Dirk Bos, Herman Bossert, Bonifaci Bros, Aaltje Dammer, Adama Diakhaté, Paul Duhem, Luiz Figueiredo, Maurice Fuldauer, Jacky Garnier, Siebe Wiemer Glastra, Martha Grunenwaldt, Hipkiss, Lies Hutting, Jaber, Tobias Jessberger, Bertus Jonkers, Truus Kardol, Jan Kervezee, Davood Koochaki, Rosemarie Koczÿ, Saï Kijima, Reuben Lake, Marc Lamy, Hans Langner, Pavel Leonov, Marie-Rose Lortet, Bonaria Manca, Markus Meurer, Allina Ndebele, Michel Nedjar, Leo Neervoort, Nek Chand, Donald Pass, Jeroen Pomp, Ody Saban, Hans Scholze, Christine Sefolosha, Joseph Selhorst, Paula Sluiter, Willem van Genk, Ank van Pagée, Henk Veenvliet, Arie Visser, Roy Wenzel, Johnson Weree, Karin Zalin, Anna Zemánková, Carlo Zinelli.

Authors / editors

Frans Smolders, Liesbeth Reith, Jos ten Berge, Stichting Collectie De Stadshof, www.collectiedestadshof.nl

Design

Frederik de Wal, frederikdewal.nl

Photography

Marcel Köppen, marcelkoppenfotografie.nl

This publication was made possible with financial support of:

The Piet Boxem Fonds and the Madelief Fonds, managed by the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, VSBfonds, Bequest from Mr Gerbrand J. Koelemeij and Mrs Meindertje Nieskje Postma.

This book, entitled Solitary Creations, presents fifty-one artists that we consider to be ‘De Stadshof’s best’ and who together not only convey the message that art can be found anywhere, even in the most unlikely places, but also that it is worth looking for it. Since 1984, the collection has grown to include some 7000 objects by almost 350 artists. Most of the works were donated by the artists themselves, by their families or heirs and by collectors. Others are on loan, usually long-term, or have been purchased with money provided by patrons and various funds. In her contribution to this book, Liesbeth Reith tells the story of the collection’s formation from a personal point of view.

The main part of Solitary Creations is dedicated to presenting masterpieces by the fifty-one artists that were selected for this purpose by an editorial board consisting of the three authors-cum-board members. We aimed for an overview that demonstrates the range and quality, wealth and variety of the collection as it stands today. Several well-known names from the outsider art canon, such as Madge Gill, Sava Sekulić, Albert Louden, Jon Serl and the artists from Gugging, have been omitted as De Stadshof does not have a representative body of work by these artists. Nevertheless, one does not have to follow the canon or the footsteps of others to come up with recognizable quality. In a sense, this book also shows what flair, intuition and daring can produce. Many artists are presented here for the first time. All works are accompanied by visual analyses and relevant biographical notes from Frans Smolders, to aid in a better understanding of the artists’ motivations, themes and handwriting. Here we must also thank Marcel Köppen for his outstanding photography and Frederik de Wal for designing the book into an art work itself.

As an added extra, the book closes with a chronicle that goes beyond De Stadshof, documenting the history of naive and outsider art in the Netherlands with special attention to the many definitions, viewpoints and stands that were taken with respect to these arts originating outside the mainstream. As such, this panoramic collection of often conflicting opinions from both within and outside the art world hopefully provides an illuminating read that may also be of service in determining one’s own position vis-à-vis an artform that – whether despite or thanks to its ‘outsider’ label – is steadily gaining recognition on all sides.