Arie van Geest  

born 1948, Maasland, the Netherlands

Lives and works in Rotterdam and Availles-Limouzine (France)

 

EDUCATION 

1965-1970 Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, Rotterdam 

Getting acquainted with Comte de Lautréamont’s Les chants de Maldoror and Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland proved to be determinant for the character of the paintings that I have been making since 1968. Four periods can be distinguished, periods in which several series appear on the stage of the imagination at regular intervals. Following a long stay in New York in the previous summer, I create Wah-Wah in 1971, a series of eleven drawings in which a masked baboon crawls through the mirror and eventually meets his better half after many rambles. 

In November 1972 I complete De drie Marguerites, the first introduction to a paradoxical and poetic world of delusion that is influenced by literature above all things. Alice is to dominate my work for ten years. During this period she increasingly represents my alter ego that is trying to put would-be reality in perspective in a bright, classical composition of surrealist settings. 

In the early eighties I say goodbye to Alice. The paintings are becoming more and more expressionist and complex in character. They are the windows looking out on a hermetic universe of stratifications in which - in addition to literature - history of art proves to be a major source of inspiration. In the autumn of 1984 Tableau Mourant arises, a series of 98 water-colours induced by Het einde van de dag, a painting that Vincent van Gogh made in 1889 after a painting by Jean François Millais. The series was exhibited in the Gemeentemuseum of The Hague in 1986. A year later it was shown in the Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh in Amsterdam and purchased by this museum in 1987. 

In the mid-nineties Alice returns in the paintings. She is now accompanied by Pinocchio, the representative of the lie, and in the Neverland of painting she meets Peter Pan, the perpetual shadowless youth. An unmistakable danger is lurking in the bushes of the lost children’s paradise. In 1999 Desolation Row arises, taking stock of imaginary creatures living in the domain of mild madness. Between 2009 and 2011 I work on the series of 12 paintings Alice (high, low and in between), a search through the history of art interwoven with illustrations by John Tenniel, the first illustrator of Alice in Wonderland.  

In the summer of 2011 I embark on a new period and make an initial reconnaissance for the new series The broken promised land, a series in which at present some thirty paintings have been completed. The garden that joins my French summer-residence and the river Vienne is my preferred point of departure to accommodate my heroes and demons justifiably. Surrounded by the brilliant sunlight and free nature’s botanic rampancy they play their roles in the imaginary circus of the mind.  

Arie van Geest, november 2015

SOLO EXHIBITIONS (A SELECTION)  

1969 Galerie CCC, Vlaardingen

Haagse Kunstkring, The Hague

 

1970 Galerie Design, Rotterdam

 

1971 Lijnbaancentrum, Rotterdam

 

1972 Galerie Balans, Amsterdam

 

          Galerie Bint, Dordrecht

 

1973 Galerie Flos Mulder (met Hans Verwey), Rotterdam

 

          Galerie Delta, Rotterdam

 

1974 Galerie Balans, Amsterdam

 

1975 Galleria del Naviglio, Milano

 

1976 Galerie Delta, Rotterdam

 

1979 Galerie Fagel, Amsterdam

 

1980 Galerie Delta, Rotterdam

 

1981 Galerie Marquis, Vlissingen

 

1982 Galleria del Naviglio, Milano

 

1985 Galerie Delta, Rotterdam

 

1986 Haags Gemeentemuseum, Te Hague

 

1987 Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh, Amsterdam

 

1989 KunstRai (Galerie Delta), Amsterdam

 

1990 Galerie Ronkes Agerbeek, The Hague

 

1991 Galerie Delta, Rotterdam

 

1994 Galerie Ronkes Agerbeek, The Hague

 

1995 Galerie Wansink, Roermond

 

1999 KunstRai (Galerie Delta), Amsterdam

 

2001 Livingstone  gallery, The Hague

 

2002 Donner, Rotterdam

 

2003 Galerie Delta,Rotterdam

 

2004 Livingstone gallery, The Hague

 

2006 Livingstone gallery, The Hague

 

          Catharinakapel, Harderwijk

 

2007 Galerie Willy Schoots, Eindhoven

 

2008 Galerie Delta, Rotterdam

 

2009 Livingstone gallery, The Hague

 

2010, WTC Art Gallery, Rotterdam

 

2011 Galerie Willy Schoots, Eindhoven

 

         Galerie Delta, Rotterdam

 

2012 Livingstone galley, The Hague

 

2014 Galerie Delta, Rotterdam

 

2015 Walgenbach Art& Books, Rotterdam

 

 

 

GROUP EXHIBITIONS (A SELECTION)

 

 

 

1969 Salon van de Maassteden, Stedelijk Museum, Schiedam

 

1972 Aanwinsten 1945-1972, Stedelijk Museum, Schiedam

 

1973 Vijf jaar Galerie Bint, Dordrechts Museum, Dordrecht

 

1974 Kunst uit Rotterdam, De Vleeshal, Middelburg

 

1975 Bildende Künstler aus den Niederlanden, Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf

 

1976 Art Fair (Galleria del Naviglio), Bologna

 

          Eigen collectie, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam

 

1977 FIAC (Galerie Delta), Paris

 

1978 Rotterdam-Hamburg, Kunsthaus, Hamburg

 

          Europaprijs voor Schilderkunst, Stedelijk Museum, Oostende

 

1979 Arie van Geest, Jurjen de Haan, Jan Schoonhoven, Galerie Marquis, Vlissingen

 

1980 Schilderkunstig Realisme, De Lakenhal , Leiden                                                                                                 

 

1981 Malerischer Realismus, Landesmuseum, Oldenburg           

 

         Mythologie Ouotidienne 1965-1970, Galerie Delta, Rotterdam

 

1983 Tekeningen, De Nederlandse Kunststichting, Amsterdam

 

1984 Kunst uit Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam

 

          Zeven Tekenaars, Galerie Westersingel 8, Rotterdam

 

          Art 15-1984 (Galerie Delta), Bazel

 

1985 Confrontatie,  Arie van Geest-Willem Lefeber, Stedelijk Museum Het Prinsenhof, Delft

 

          Art Cologne (Galerie Delta), Keulen

 

          Tekeningen, Galerie Nouvelles Images, The Hague       

 

          From source to use, Galerie van Beveren, Rotterdam

 

1986 Verover het Beeld, Gemeentelijk Museum Jan Cunen, Oss

 

          Europaprijs voor Schilderkunst, Stedelijk Museum, Oostende

 

1987 Aankopen 1986, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam

 

1988 Rotterdam Retrospectief Beeldende Kunst na 1940, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen,         Rotterdam

 

          Ego/Imago, Galerie Westersingel 8, Rotterdam

 

1989 Small Scale, Galerie Bébert, Rotterdam

 

          Lineart Ghent (Galerie Delta), Gent

 

1990 Hommage aan Frida Kahlo, Galerie Delta, Rotterdam

 

         Woody van Amen, Arie van Geest, Burgert Koonijnendijk, Bogardenkapel, Brugge

 

1992 Met Verve, Gemeentelijk Museum Jan Cunen, Oss

 

1993 Sebastiaan, martelaar of mythe, Museum Markiezenhof, Bergen op Zoom.

 

1994 Elvis lives, Galerie Torch, Amsterdam

 

1995 Introspace, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam

 

1996 De collectie Weegels, De Tiendschuur, Weert

 

1997 Deltawerken, De Kunsthal, Rotterdam

 

2000 Totem -  helden van het beeldverhaal, De Vishal, Haarlem

 

2002 ArtBookArt 1992-2002, Livingstone gallery, The Hague

 

2003 Arie van Geest, Melle, John van ’t Slot, Galerie Willy Schoots, Eindhoven

 

2004 Prospecten van nooit vermoed schoon, TENT, Rotterdam

 

2005 Kunst uit huis, Collectie Joop en An Groen, Stedelijk Museum, Schiedam

 

         Meester-Leerling-Meester, Klaas Gubbels, Arie  van Geest, Juul Kraijer, Burgert Koonijnendijk), Galerie Delta, Rotterdam

 

2006 Hommage (samenstelling Paul van der Eerden), CBK, Rotterdam

 

2007 Art Rotterdam (Livingstone gallery en Galerie Willy Schoots), Rotterdam

 

         Art Amsterdam, (Galerie Willy Schoots), Amsterdam

 

2008 The New Force of Painting, Frissiras Museum, Athene

 

          Harbor Lights, GAD Gallery, Oslo

 

         Quant à moi - (schilders), Galerie Willy Schoots, Eindhoven

 

2009 Eb & Vloed, Museum Belvédère, Heerenveen

 

2010 The 2010 Fine Art Collection, Melrose Arch, Johannesburg

 

          Ils sont venus de si loin, Galerie Delta, Rotterdam

 

2011 Realisme II, ( Galerie Willy Schoots, Galerie van Duyse) Passenger Terminal, Amsterdam.

 

         Livingstone on paper, 20 years,  Livingstone gallery, The Hague

 

2012 Goddelijk en Griezelig, Afrika Museum, Berg en Dal

 

         On the road again, Livingstone gallery, The Hague

 

2013 Painting I - European Painting Affinities, 1960-1980, Frissiras Museum, Athene

 

          Miniatuur Museum voor Hedendaagse Kunst, Haags Gemeentemuseum, The Hague

 

2014 Bébert - Uitgeverij en Galerie, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam

 

          Group Show, Thanassis Frissiras Art Gallery, Athene

 

          Angels & Demons, Livingstone gallery, The Hague

 

          Dier in het vizier - Part II, Museum Nairac, Barneveld

 

          Winterfabels, Galerie Delta, Rotterdam

 

2015 Boomers-Art, WTC Gallery, Rotterdam

 

 

 

COLLECTIONS (A SELECTION)

 

Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh, Amsterdam, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Haags Gemeentemuseum, The Hague, Stedelijk Museum, Schiedam, Gemeentelijk Museum Jan Cunen, Oss, Frissiras Museum, Athene, Landesmuseum, Oldenburg, Instituut Collectie Nederland, Amsterdam, ABN-AMRO Bank, Amsterdam, ING Bank, Amsterdam, Staalbankiers, The Hague, Bouwfonds Nederlandse Gemeenten, Hoevelaken, Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken , The Hague, Hogeschool, Rotterdam, Miniatuur Museum voor Hedendaagse Kunst, Amsterdam, Hans Sonnenberg Art Collection, Rotterdam

 

 

 

PRIZES (A SELECTION)

 

1969 Maaskantprijs

 

1970 Drempelprijs

 

1973 Koninklijke Subsidie voor Vrije Schilderkunst

 

1975 Koninklijke Subsidie voor Vrije Schilderkunst

 

1978 Europaprijs voor Schilderkunst (bronzen medaille), Oostende

 

1986 Europaprijs voor Schilderkunst (bronzen medaille), Oostende

 

 

 

 

 

PUBLICATIONS (A SELECTION)

 

1973 Arie van Geest, Een hommage aan de derde Marguerite, Galerie Delta, Rotterdam

 

1975 Arie van Geest, Galleria del Naviglio, Milano

 

1980 Painterly Realism, Bureau Beeldende Kunst Buitenland, Amsterdam, Texts: Hans Sizoo, Gijs van Tuyl, Evert Rodrigo

 

1981 Arie van Geest, Schilderijen ’72-’80, Editions Marquis, Vlissingen, Text: Arie van Geest

 

1982 Pitture di Arie van Geest, Galleria del Naviglio, Milano, Text: Evert Rodrigo

 

1984 Kunst uit Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Text: Wim Beeren

 

1986 Arie van Geest, Tableau Mourant, 98 aquarellen, Haags Gemeentemuseum,The Hague, Text: Mariette Josephus Jitta

 

1987 Arie van Geest, Het nieuwe werk, Galerie Delta, Rotterdam, Text: Kees Broos

 

1989 Arie van Geest, Through the mirror, Galerie Delta, Rotterdam, Text: Hendrik van Delft

 

1991 Arie van Geest, Ex Aequo, Galerie Delta, Rotterdam, Text: Wouter Welling

 

2001 Arie van Geest, Desolation Row, Van Spijk Art Projects bv, Venlo / Livingstone Editions, The Hague. Texts: Mariette Josephus Jitta, Pieter van Oudheusden

 

2006 Arie van Geest, Visible Absence, Livingstone gallery, The Hague, Galerie Willy Schoots, Eindhoven, Text: Pieter van Oudheusden

 

2008 The New Force of Painting, Frissiras Museum, Athene, Text: Christina Sotiropoulou

 

2012 Arie van Geest, Alice (high, low and in between), Galerie Willy Schoots, Eindhoven, Galerie Delta, Rotterdam, Livingstone gallery, The Hague,  Editions Alias, Rotterdam, Text: Arie van Geest

 

2015 Painting I  – European painting  affinities 1960-1980,  Frissiras Museum,  Athene, Text: Thanassis Moutsopoulos