Arthur Meijer

Menazil & Casas: beelden van huizen

Nieuwe Teertuinen 17 - 1013 LV Amsterdam - www.arthurmeijer.nl
Open by appointment. T + 31(0)6 222 12 472


In a beautiful light workshop with an ample view at the historic Prinseneiland Arthur Meijer creates his ceramic sculptures of houses. Arab and Mediterranean tower houses.

He likes to travel to taste the summery atmosphere and watches the houses in their natural environment. Usually old houses with odd later additions or with unusual, but still harmonious combinations of styles. These are structures that took shape in the course of time, depending on the local conditions, available building materials and traditions. Archways and alleys, patios, grand stairways and little staircases, loggias, verandas and balustrades and elevated walkways. Where shimmering light reflects and plays a game with the shadow.

The towering of these houses makes reference to human proportions. The way the houses stand in space and relate to their surroundings, but also to each other, shows the way human relations and characters can be.

Arthur Meijer makes his sculptures, as high as 125cm, in ceramics, or better: terra cotta, because the skin (or texture) and the resulting color of fired unglazed clay all go well with the summery atmosphere and the wonderment I want to evoke and above all closely resembles the finish of time that I so admire in old buildings. These sculptures invite the viewer to daydream.

His work is to be seen in different galleries, at art fairs and exhibitions, also abroad.

Work in commission is possible.


Wander down deserted side streets in quiet southern villages or suburbs. The blue sky shimmers with the heat and there are few people out and about. From inside the houses come aromas and snippets of conversations in a foreign language, the tinkle of cutlery and the sound of radio or TV. Outside it is quiet but the passer-by does not feel lonely. Who does not remember this lovely summery feeling ? Travelling to distant destinations can also be a journey back in time.

With amazement you look around at the old houses with odd later additions or with unusual, but still harmonious combinations of styles. These are structures that took shape in the course of time, depending on the local conditions, available building materials and traditions.

Archways and alleys, patios, grand stairways and little staircases, loggias, verandas and balustrades. Sometimes elevated walkways. Glaring sunlight shines along the facades and is reflected back: a play of light and shade. Beautiful stone, lime and wood, splendidly weathered through time, blending in with the surroundings as they are also locally found.

It is also a pleasure to see what life is like there. Someone coming home along the alley pushing a scooter, leading a donkey or a pair of goats, stopping to chat with neighbours up on a balcony. Or to see the women in the shadows chatting as they prepare food. Great to daydream about how life was in earlier days.

I have always had a fascination for architecture. I find it marvellous to travel around the Mediterranean, with its tangible and ancient past: it is a kind of homecoming for me. I can visualize very well what life used to be like then. Or, during my journeys through Marocco, Yemen and Mali I wondered how our own lives used to be. A slower pace of life, the manual labour and time available for a chat. Is that a nostalgic desire for a romanticized past? The towering of my houses makes reference to human proportions. As the windows and other openings are small, it is difficult to look inside. We can only guess at the hidden life that takes place there: and from inside someone is looking at us. The way the houses stand in space and relate to their surroundings, but also to each other, shows the way human relations and characters can be.

Although I have received a very broad training, finalised my academic levels in ceramics and design in metal, I have also learned to work with wood, synthetics, paper and textiles, I now specialise in ceramics. I make my sculptures in terra cotta because the skin (or texture) and the resulting colour of fired unglazed clay all go well with the summery atmosphere and the wonderment I want to evoke and above all closely resembles the finish of time that I so admire in old buildings.

These sculptures invite the viewer to daydream.

My earlier ceramic work was abstract, organic or very geometric in style. I also made abstract metal sculptures one of which is now part of the collection of the Academisch Medisch Centrum in Amsterdam.

*Menzil: Arabic for large house. Plural: Menazil.

Arthur Meijer

Casas

La Casa, the house, as the second skin. The house gives away the character of her inhabitant. These structures refer to a Meditarranean and Oriental past and want to tempt to daydreaming.

My original casas are buildings that offer a luxurious view of the surrounding world. Sometimes a limited view. The perception of that world, or reality, was limited in the first Casas, as the many paired windows offered only a limited view of the world. Just as the human perception of reality is also limited by aptitude and character, upbringing and culture and many other factors. A Casa shows itself alternately broad or narrow, the way a human can also appear psychologically and physically large or modest. In the most recent Casas curved surfaces, arches, gateways and stairs have been applied and there are also windows at various heights. In addition there are unpretentious entrances.

The sources of inspiration for these Casas is the still existing Roman and early Rennaissance architecture in Mediterranean regions, but also paintings, as may be seen in the Palazzo Publico in Sienna. Also of a recent date are the experiments with perspective distortion the way Giorgio ed Chirico uses it in his work.

A summer walk through Umbria in 2003, showed me beautiful variations of the Roman theme. Amongst others I find the abundance of arches fascinating. Everywhere there are arches: large and small, above gateways and over alleys.

Menazil

"Menzil" is Arabic for "large house". Menazil is the plural form of Menzil. Since 1998 are the Yemeni loam architecture and since 1999 the Moorish (influence on - ) architecture in the south of Spain a fountain of inspiration.

After a trip around (south) Morocco in the winter of 2001, the building idiom of the Berber people also offers possibilities. The renovating work (often in loam) of the Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy also appeals to my imagination and has lead to a number of sculptures with their own form idiom. A trip through Yemen, during the winter of 2003, has given me a treasure of new inspiration. The variations in traditional building styles and manners of building in Yemen are overwhelming and totally different from those in Europe.

During a trip through Mali, in february 2005, where I have also visited Djenné and Tombouctou, I had a close look at the local adobe architecture. Smooth forms due to the heavy rains offer me new opportunaties.

My early ceramic work was abstract, organic or very geometric of character. I also used to make abstract metal plastics of which since 1986 one has been placed in the collection of the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam.


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Atelier Arthur Meijer Nieuwe Teertuinen 17 1013 LV Amsterdam Tel. 0031 (0)6 22212472 Every 2e sunday of the month: 12.00 uur till 17.00 open atelier Also open by appointment Website : Arthur Meijer Email : Arthur Meijer