Mari/ja nr2

ithis edition Peditorial roudly I present the second edi-Flags of the World 2016 2 tion of my Magazine MARI/JA. YouAnimals have no country 10 will find most of the works and ex-GRW system 1990 12 hibitions of 2016 and some texts about my artwork in general.Artsymposium at Cyprus 18Set#net, site specific work 34 Some of the things that happened thisOther activities 36 year: In December 2015 I had to move out of the studio in Weesp after 10 years. For a long time I have shared the studio with Wim Vonk and Klaas de Jonge. From January 2016 we worked in an empty library in Rijnsburg. For the first time all my works since 1989 were stored in one place. So, I had the op- portunity to look back at 26 years of making art. In September and October 2016 I ex- hibited my project Flags of the World was as part of Wim Vonk’s solo exhi- bition ONTROERWOUD. 78 flags were shown as one big carpet (8 x 5m). In December I went to Cyprus to take part in the Cyprus Art Symposium which triggered new thoughts about my art. Marja van Putten December 2016 1

ONTROERWOUD From 8 September to 22 October 2016 the work ‘Flags of the World’ was an important part of the show of Wim Vonk, Ontroerwoud at CBK Amsterdam.2 For the first time all flags (78) could hang on one wall.

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White Flag and Boerenzakdoek, 2010, oil on canvas 5

HOW MANY COUN- TRIES? (recognized or not) Astate is a political association with effective internal and external sover- eignty over a geographic area and population which is not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state. Whi- le in abstract terms a sovereign state can exist without being recognised by other sovereign states, unrecognised states will often find it hard to exercise full trea- ty-making powers and engage in diplo- matic relations with other sovereign states. A country is a geographical territory, both in the sense of nation (a cultural entity) and state (a political entity). The number of countries changes from time to time. There are also places that some consider a territory and others consider a country. Membership within the United Nations sys- tem divides the 206 listed states into three categories: 193 member states, two obser- ver states, and 11 other states. -source: Wikipedia-6

TfeArwwxofoprmoimocoraIhddenotneeeondrsinde.pgopkTrnpitno’orh.erojToeiesWsdhdricauemiutes,ccs‘waoFhettrrl-ashdeaeAniegcbfadmthrsacmikkaoth.eiabnfkar.yisctdgUh,husettniirheomdaWafuevitisloesra.arltrbMelrhidetedeai’einnnsfssrtyoguoawippnmsrteoaeattrlIhddntvseeidtwsaraiinspaoittsuanahatsuntoDtsehsdfueyreEntCdmcnpshhibganiunoilpnistaslrhte.hoiienndFdasgrAuoenoocfmdnrptficiDcatIeonaeucDdrttfeaucooosmthunrcoretichicfhssoet‘itbapmes,oro,xpitwetcthiashrlhee,neiyAfinlceaefwzasbratimerhctkihrace-eeens, 7 Google Earth, 2010, ø 120 cm, c-print on canvas

KANGA AND BATIK to Indonesia and introduced motifs that were included in the KITENGE The techniques, symbolism traditional batik patterns. Pas- and culture surrounding hand- tels and characteristic figures Already in the early Middle dyed cotton and silk garments such as dragons, phoenix and Ages rich African rulers were known as Indonesian Batik flowers were brought by the interested in luxury goods from permeate the lives of Indone- Chinese. Europe. Especially textiles sians from beginning to end: In 2009 Batik patterns beca- were very popular. From the infants are carried in batik me part of by Unesco Cultural 17th century the Dutch played slings decorated with symbols World Heritage. a major role in fulfilling that de- designed to bring the child The word “Batik” literally me- sire. They traded Indian fabriks luck, and the dead are shrou- ans drawing with wax. to the West African coast. ded in funerary batik. The wide It is therefore not surprising diversity of patterns reflects a that the imitation batik fabrics variety of influences, ranging found their way to Africa. They from Arabic calligraphy, Euro- became popular when indi- pean bouquets and Chinese genous soldiers who returned phoenixes to Japanese cherry after serving in the Nether- blossoms and Indian or Persian lands Indian army between peacocks. Often handed down 1837 and 1872 to their homes within families for generations, around Fort Elmina on the Gold the craft of batik is intertwined Coast (the coastal area of with the cultural identity of the present-day Ghana). Especially Indonesian people and, through fabrics with the coarser materi- the symbolic meanings of its al fraction effects were appre- colours and designs, expresses ciated. What the Dutch Indies their creativity and spirituality. found ugly, the African liked Batik Kraton, the original form the most. Around the 18th cen- of Javanese batik, is most tury the first Vlisco khanga’s influenced by Hinduism. Recog- were sold to Kenya, Tanganyika nizable symbols from Hinduism, and Zanzibar. A khanga exists like the sacred bird Garuda, the of two pieces: one around lotus flower and the tree of life the hips and one to wear as a are recurring elements in the headscarf. From 1946 Vlisco batik style. Islamic influences textiles became part of African are reflected in the more bo- culture. tanical and geometric figures that were included in the batik. When the Dutch reached the island of Java, they came in contact with batik. They took samples of the art home and thus caused the spread of the8 process in Europe. Conver sely, they brought new colors

DE VERENIG- Palestijnse vlag in één sessie 9 opgezet en hangen ze naastDE WERELD elkaar. Om het beeld van han- gende doeken op te roepen zijnVAN MARJA de vierkante schilderijen (60 x 60 cm) diagonaal geplaatst.VAN PUTTEN Vanuit het centrum ontwikkelt zich vaak een design van verfdoor: Aja Waalwijk, 2010 dat met de vingers aange-Staatsliedenkrant bracht, er bijna opgekneed inIn de maand september stelt een handendans. Beweging enMarja van Putten een aantal structuur verlenen de als vlakolieverfschilderijen tentoon in bekende designs en heraldi-Zaal 100 uit haar serie Flags of sche motieven een ongekendethe World. Een expositie die in ruimtelijkheid. Ze ogen los enzijn totaliteit (150 doeken) niet luchtig als impressionistischezou misstaan in het gebouw verbeeldingen, borduursels bij-van de Verenigde Naties. na. Tezamen, als tegels tegen elkaar, vormen ze een immensPer doek is een nationale kleur kunstwerk dat bruist van leven,geïnterpreteerd vanuit een bij het leven onder de vlaggen,het land behorend traditioneel vibrerende volkskunst: eenpatroon van textiele of kerami- unieke synthese.sche herkomst. Deze patronen,vaak in de vorm van mandala’s Marja van Putten werkt aanen kaleidoscoop-achtige con- meerdere projecten, combi-figuraties, vindt ze ondermeer neert olie- en acrylverf, voor-op boerenzakdoeken, Afri- ziet doeken van applicaties enkaanse kangas en Maleisische collages, combineert fotografiebatiks. Ze wijst er op dat en schilderkunst. Ze studeerdenationale grenzen soms verva- aan de Gerrit Rietveld Acade-gen zoals bij Afrikaanse vlag- mie maar ziet haar kunstzinnigegen die gemeen hebben dat ontwikkeling eveneens ge-rood, groen en geel dominant vormd door de kraakbeweging.zijn. En zo zijn er in Hollandse “In de kraakbeweging van deboerenzakdoeken Indonesische jaren tachtig ligt een deel vanbatikmotieven verwerkt. Een de oorspronkelijke beweeg-patroon op het kostuum van redenen. Daar is het wakkerGhadaffi was uitgangspunt geworden. De kraakbewegingvoor invulling van de vlag van bood mensen tijd en mogelijk-Libië. Of het motief typisch heden zich buiten de vastge-Libisch is, is voor haar hier niet stelde kaders te ontwikkelen.van belang, Ghadaffi is ge- Het ging er om “zelf doen”zichtsbepalend. waardoor het niet-aangeleerde naar boven kwam. Daar vondEr zijn ook landen die een con- ik de oplossing vorm te gevenflict hebben. Om die reden zijn aan de veelzijdigheid van debijvoorbeeld de Israëlische en dingen.”

COUNTRY ANIMALS Animals are sometimes used as symbols by nations. The Dutch ‘own’ the cow, the Germans the German sheppard, the Indian the elep- hant and so on. This series is based on that idea.10

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SOCTLUUETADTNIOHINEG GRWGRW systeemAA new studio with all works of 25 years around me! Do I want to keep them all or can I throwaway some? It will also be a relief formy relatives if something happensto me and they have to organize myoeuvre.So I wanted to select my works and Most things, objects, persons, land-throw out as much as possible. A scapes, languages, verbs, have dif-hard job! ferent forms or shapes. These shapes can symbolize different meaningsIn this article you see the very old or identities. I mean differences likepart the works that are made in 1989- hard or soft, obvious or diffuse, male1990: or female, thick or thin, rich and poor,the GRW system. transparent or opaque and so on. In 1989/1990 I constructed a system to categorize variations of almost ev- erything. With this system I was able to label almost everything. I called it GRW system. GRW stands for the 3 colors I used: (G)reen, (R)ed and (W)hite. They symbolize a specific kind of being. The green stands for strong and rigid, impersonal and outside, the red for emotional, fluid, sexual. The white for intimate, personal, vulnerable, soft. In every type you can discover all types as a nuance. This creates 9 parts in a square with 9 codes: Gg, Gr, Gw, Rg, Rr, Rw, Wg, Wr, Ww. The codes are made to play, to work, to live with. It offered all the freedom to experiment with different materials and content. It gave me tools to work with contradictions.12

OldGRW-system, 1989- 1990 13

GRW PHOTOGRAPHY The photos used in this series are made in 1990 in a little house I made with old white childrens dresses (picture mid- dle-right). I projected slides of modern architecture and a cake with candles that refer to birthday parties from my youth. I also created a scenery with little objects.14

From GRW diaries 1989 15

ART HISTORY AS A NETWORK Art history seems more like a network of lines and directions to me than one chronological line in time. Cultural heritage Looking at art as an archaeologist, to dis- covering art can become like digging art out of the layers of all art. I mean, art of the 20th century became part of history, part of the collective memory. The 20th is just ano- ther area in time we can relate to, like other centuries. In a way, it equalizes all art since 10.000 BC whether famous or not, common- ly known, regularly shown in exhibitions or not, ‘art’ or simply daily objects. With this in mind I look at art history as a thick and layered soil. In December 2016 I was in Cyprus, whe- re I was part of a symposium and Artist in Residence program (A.I.R.). I was inspired by the pots from the Cypro-Geometric period (1100-750 BC), which are decorated in a modernist style. I combined old style pot- tery with contemporary objects like plastic bags, car logos e.g. The oldest objects in this museum came from 10.000-8.500 BC, this did raise questions like what would be important to conserve out of 12.000 years of history? What would be important to add as a contemporary artist? MY OWN ‘ART HISTORY’ Chronological timeline in art history It was in the end of the 80’s when moder- nist art, fundamental art, and the adage less is more were still the leading principles, especially at art academies. It seemed that disciplines and materials were connected to fixed meanings and symbolic contexts like textiles are feminine, steel is cold, oil paint is for ‘real painters’, red is emotional, white is innocent, and so on.16 OldGRW-system, 1989- 1990

My personal system versus chronologi- art history. Especially in my painting I refer-cal timeline in art history red many times to ‘Old Masters in painting’.Because these fixed meanings limited my This thought was also in line with the deve-possibilities in using disciplines and materi- loping of Art History into one single directi-als for my work I started with what can be on.seen as an archaeological project. I con- Fortunately this has changed in the last 30-structed a system in which I organized my 40 years.personal fascinations, my personal back-ground and upbringing, ‘art history’ refe- Counterpartsrences and current events. I categorized and For women to take an independent positionlabeled all objects, thoughts, everything that in art history is full of contradictions, I noti-took place, in this system: ‘GRW system or ced during my art practice: artworks (of mensystem of imagination’ and women) are always placed in relation to(Green, Red, White, labels of the sys- the existing references, e.g. a work of textiletem). A�er I developed this system in 1989 can’t be seen as autonomous, separatedI was enabled to be free to choose in form, from so called female art forms. As a malediscipline or content, though I was explicit to artist, this can of course work differently butcall myself a painter. with the same ingredients. Another thought to explain this, is the fact that one can onlyThis system opened up new possibilities: I refer to images of artists that are commonlywas now able to use a wider range of ma- known. Female art is rarely ever quoted.terials and disciplines in painting and put This shows how quotations are reinforcingpainting in a context. Painting was and is the the status quo. My solution for this was tomost important discipline for me because of show contradictions, oppositions in onethe history in art I wanted my work to relate work. Always show more than one option,to. Now my opinions are shi�ing. I see this to show complexity instead of peeling thingsas a le�over of modern art history I grew up off to clear statements. With this my art waswith as an artist. in opposition to the modern art tradition I mentioned previously.IdentitiesIdentity has always been one of the main System Upgradesubjects in my work; what is the origin My invented system needs an upgrade. I canof objects, what are the meanings and continue to draw on my own private (art)thoughts behind them? What is personal history without the need to refer to ‘ouridentity and how is it related to sexes, coun- traditional western (modern) art history’.tries, religion, class? How is it ‘constructed’? Instead of this I have to get rid of this ‘bur-I was born in 1956 and grew up with a reli- den’ and step into a freer way of making art,gious (Reformed) background in an enclosed lessen the constructed approach, lose thegroup, which opened up in the 60’s and 70’s, obligations to relate to old rules.the times that brought new possibilities &prosperity, criticism & rebellion. I have been 1 jan 2017part of the political movements & subcultu-res in the 80’s. A�er these experiencesI ‘became an artist’ at an older age in mylifespan, when I was 33.Feminism 17As a female artist, I have a connection tofemale, feminist art. My position was mostlydefined by the idea to interact with (male)

Dysfunctionalities in Contemporary Art nov 30 2016 – dec 4 2016 Cyprus, Limassol Dysfunctionalities in contemporary Art is a Symposium/ Artist’s residency exploring notions and issues impacting upon Art practices. The idea for this event was originally developed in a discussion between the artists Elena Kotasvili, Katina Kosta and Michael Vaughan- Smith. They wanted to create a forum fostering dialogue examining and exploring values in the contemporary Art. “The distorting influence of the art market on the creative process and its effect on perception, the role of mass culture, art education and the influence of politics and disparate ideologies on artistic trends;” I started my research with a visit to the district Museum of Archaeology in Limassol and was impressed by the Cypro-Geometric period (1100- 750 BC) decorated with almost modern designs. I used the design of these archaeological objects in both the paintings I made and pots made from plastic bags you get everywhere. The pots became a kind of future archeology. It was a long time ago I worked with 3 D in my own art, it started a new process which I developed further in 2017.18

Art of the 20th century became for me partof the long Art history and part of the col-lective memory. It is just another area intime we can relate to like any other century, even though we areused to look at this time period from more nearby.In a way looking like this equalizes all art since 8500 BC famous ornot, known, shown or not, ‘art’ or daily objects.The main question is then, what is important to show and in whichcontext, what are the connections? The internet made connecti-ons also worldwide and related to different cultures.Digital possibilities can equal these relations and diminish the oldhierarchies that constructed art history even more.see article page 16 19

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Future Archaeology, Plastic bags, floorprojection, studio 2017Future Archaeology, made at EKATEK symposium, Cyprus, Pots, kitchen towel, glue, acrylic

Encounters Encounters is a series of paintings I started in 2015 about people from different times and places, who meet each other in my paintings. In the first painting I made, ‘Love Affair’ Milkmaid of the painting of Vermeer meets Michiel de Ruyter in one of her imaginary trips to Japan. 12 1 Afrikan king Lobengula kaMzilikazi with the head of 34 Martin Luther King and the Venus of Botticelli. 2 Mondriaan watching Rembrandt’s wife, Saskia taking a bath. 3 Milkmaid and Michiel de Ruyter met in Japan and had a serious love affair. 4. A. Hitler and E. Schiele in Vienna22

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Encounters Van Gogh is always pictured as a suffering man, a sad love life, mentally ill, always out of money. A passionate painter but not recognized enough during his life. In this painting he is having a good time loved by an indian woman who met during his walks in the French landscape.24

Van Gogh ‘s love affair, 2016, 150 x 150 cm 25

EncountersIn the first MARI/JA I showed this new series about people from different times and places, who meet each other in my paintings. Since then I made some more of those and later I started a series only about women in the arts.Anna Boleyn was Queen of England from1533 to 1536 as the second wife of KingHenry VIII, and Marquess of Pembroke inher own right.Henry’s marriage to Anne, and her subse-quent execution by beheading, made hera key figure in the political and religiousupheaval that was the start of the EnglishReformation.Red Cloud SiouxThe United States named a war after RedCloud, a prominent Oglala Lakota chiefwho led his followers in opposition to thepresence of the U.S. military in the area.He was allied with the Cheyenne andArapaho. With peace achieved under theTreaty of Fort Laramie in 1868, the Indi-ans were victorious. They gained legalcontrol of the Powder River country,although their victory would only endurefor 8 years until the Great Sioux War of1876.Red Cloud’s War consisted mostly ofconstant small-scale Indian raids and at- After 1868, Red Cloud lived ontacks on the soldiers and civilians at the the reservation. Seeing that thethree forts in the Powder River country, numbers of new emigrants andwearing down those garrisons. The larg-est action of the war, the Fetterman Fight technology of the United States would(with 81 men killed on the U.S. side), was overwhelm the Sioux, Red Cloud adapt-the worst military defeat suffered by the ed to fighting the US Indian Bureau forU.S. on the Great Plains until the Battle of fair treatment for his people. He was anthe Little Bighorn ten years later. important leader of the Lakota through the years of transition from their plains culture to the relative confinement of26 the reservation system.

Encounters, Queen and King 27

Encounters V otes is about the female voice in history. Emmeline Pankhurst (15 July 1858 – 14 June 1928) was a British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement who helped women win the right to vote. Joan of Arc (6 January c. 1412 – 30 May 1431), nicknamed “The Maid of Orléans”, is considered a heroine of France for her role during the Hundred Years’ War, and was canonized as a Roman Catholic saint. Joan of Arc was born to Jacques d’Arc and Isabelle Romée, a peasant family, at Domrémy in north-east France. Joan said she received visions of the Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria instructing her to support Charles VII and recover France from English domination late in the Hundred Years’ War. Tintin (Kuifje) from the comic books of Hergé is a young Belgian reporter who becomes involved in dangerous cases in which he takes heroic action to save the day.28

Encounters, Triple Actions 29

Encounters-M/F- EqualIn this two paintings I chose a male and a Itried to paint two portraits that show a female painter who knew each other. One psychological image of the two. Two is Sien van Houten, who is also the wife of portraits that are equal in power and with Hendrik Willem Mesdag. She was known an androgynous appearance. as a painter and participated in the making of Panorama Mesdag. The other painter is George Hendrik Breitner. He also worked on the Panorama. I found they both painted flowers in a ginger pot. The selfportrait of Breitner is mixed with a work of Picasso, who was about 20 years younger. Italian 0,10 euro30 Ginger, quoting Sien van Houten, 2016, 1 x 1 m

(Fe)male QuotationsIn this series, also on square format, but Another thought is about quoting smaller I am working on a serie of women artists. Quotations of course work and men in arts. because the spectator recognizes the Women of different times like Artemisia reference. Because a lot of works by women Gentileschi (16th century) and Eva Hesse are unknown (and of course many oeuvres (20th century). of male artists too) they are seldom quoted. Wouldn’t it be interesting when they could This shows how quotations are reinforcing talk about their work and life..? the status quo.Ginger, quoting George Hendirk Breitner, 2016, 1 x 1 m 31

Encounters-M/F- Here we see Artemisia Gentileschi painting on a part of a work of Eva Hesse. They are both famous artists and shown in art books. At the time when I went to art school Artemisia was one of the very few women artists that you could find in Arnason.... Eva Hesse was an artist I could Identify with. Her influence as a woman making fundamental art in the seventies has been great and an exception in that time.32

Encounters M/F, Eva and Artemisia, 2016, 100 x 100 cm 33various paints, rubber, thread, ceramics on canvas

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FStudio in Rijnsburg rom January 2016 til January 2017 I had my studio in Rijnsburg in an old library. It is again a big space but with a low ceiling. The good thing is, in the cellar I can always use a beamer, because there is no daylight. studio situation, 2016, working on SET#FENIKS, The New City, exhibition november 2016 35

SET#NET is a network of installation artists who make use of each other’s ex- pertises and organize exhibitions. SET#NET originated from the SET installation project in the project space Crossfire Project Base in Amsterdam. The art project was situated in the studio of Hermine Stam in warehouse of Pakhuis Wilhelmina in the eastern port area of Amsterdam. From May 2007 to March 2011 there were 8 exhibitions with the title SET. 8 times 4 artists worked together in this room for a week and showed their instal- lations in 4 consecutive weekends. These artists formed together SET#NET. Since 2011 there have been 8 exhibitions. The next one is in September 2018. info:www.setnet.info SET#SLATUINEN 2015, Tulpenvaas. In de Kas van de Slatuinen in Amsterdam exposeerde iedere deelnemer in een vergelijkbare kubus. Mijn bijdrage bestond uit een Tulpenvaas opgebouwd uit reageerbuisjes die met elastiekjes (loom bands) aan elkaar zaten. Een hele wan- kele constructie. In de reageerbuisjes zaten witte tulpen in rood, wit, en blauw gekleurd water. Na enkele dagen kleurden de tulpen rood, wit, blauw. Eromheen gevlochten hele kleine reageerbuisjes met alle kleuren van de regenboog.36

SET#FortEdam2014, PoppiesExhibition in Fort Edam with the theme ‘100years after the 1st World War’In the 1st space, a machine room, the lightturned off, when a visitor came into theroom. A group of small poppies paintedwith luminous paint lit up. The luminouspaintings formed a dramatic tribute to thevictims.In the second room there were 4 paintingsto be seen, a big work with 1 poppy, 2smaller pieces and 1 completely damagedpainting of a soldier. 37

38 Traveling with Milkmaid, 2015

Other activities Assistent of Arman- and member of the board. do, who is the mostSchwarzmalen 1 & 2 famous living Dutch www.digitaalkunstbeheer.org Schwarzmalen (paint artist at the moment. Since it black) is a project 1996 I do the socalled Websiteson Facebook, I am orga- preparation work for hisnizing together with Astrid sculptures. Since 2005 to- marjavanputten.nlMoors. In 2017 for the third gether with Wim Vonk. The hetmelkmeisjevanvertime with 8 artists. sculptures are also made meer.nl schwarzmalen.nlThe project is a critical in our studio in Weesp. mariasluierhof.nlpoint of view against the flagsoftheworld.nltendency to focus on the digt-paint.nlcommercial potential and traco.arttrust.nlthe taste of the public inthe arts lately. The titlerefers to the painting ofSigmar Polke. ‘Hohere We-sen befahlen: rechte obereEcke schwarz malen’.www.schwarzmalen.nlArttrust is my com- pany, creating websites, mainly forother artists and creativebusinesses since 2002.www.arttrust.nlFlags of the world is Digitaal Kunst Beheer a project started in is an organization 2010. founded in 2016. Its I made paintings from the goal is digital preservation flags of all countries of the and acces of the oeuvre of world (2008) with decora- artists who passed away. tions and colors I am one of the initiators related to their flag. www.flagsoftheworld.nl 39

detail Raffles & Rafels, SET#FENIX, 2016 COLOFON © Marja van Putten design > Marja van Putten text > Marja van Putten english translation text page 16/17 > Alec Gatenby revising > Annechien Verhey Contact email > [email protected] | [email protected] skype > marja.van.putten3 facebook > facebook.com/marja.vanputten tel > 0031 640662525 website > marjavanputten.nl40