Aat Veldhoen - Dit werk is niet meer beschikbaar. - Sold

Dancer Billy Wilson, naked 1964 Rota print.
Ath Veldhoen (Amsterdam, 1934 - 2018) After Aat purchased his etching press in 1950, he developed into a portrait print artist with a keen eye for detail. His portrait prints do not hide the fact that he has a great psychological insight into those he portrays. The work of Aat Veldhoen has been characterized by Simon Carmiggelt as a lifelong and sincere interest in 'all aspects of human life'. At the end of the 1950s, Aat focused on imagining `man on the border between life and death`. At the time, this was seen as controversial. In the operating room of an Amsterdam hospital, he makes etchings of people on the operating table. A series that will be continued with prints of women giving birth. He then drives with police cars to draw traffic victims. In 1964 Aat immersed himself in the rota print technique. This enables him to realize his ideal of making art for the people. Due to the large production, his prints can be sold for a few guilders each. The prints are displayed on a cargo bike and marketed in this way. If Aat is forced to stop after two years, this means the end of his etching period. From that moment on he focused on painting and sculpture. He would not pick up etching again until years later. Aat: `I am in the fortunate position that as an artist I can make a living from my work. Few artists can do that. It doesn't matter to me whether my work is in the collection of the Dutch Central Bank or hangs in a museum. I think the most important thing I can paint is. I always try to stay styleless because when you get a style you quickly fall into mannerism and I think you should always try not to become a mannerist. You have to try new things and materials. As an artist you can buy everything you want these days and with all that stuff I try to stay as stylish as possible. I will always be a firm believer in visual art because it is like playing the violin. It will never disappear. It is something of the people, however it develops. Whether you paint figuratively or non-figuratively, it is always autobiographical. Every artist makes art about himself.`