A minimalist work from 1980

Dimensions:

Height: 53 cm

Width: 42 cm

Depth: 3 cm

The first work of Marlies that I bought dates from 1980 and belongs to a series of clay slabs with 'damaged' surfaces (No.1).

During or after firing, the slabs were 'treated' to make them crack. They were then painted white and mounted in heavy white frames. This piece is so heavy that I am afraid to hang it on the wall. For now, it stands on one of my bookcases.

I know of two other works from this series (Nos. 2 and 3, see Kunstveiling), both also from 1980 and both also “untitled”.

These are the most Japanese-inspired works I have seen of hers, based on the concept of wabi-sabi.

wabi-sabi celebrates elements of imperfection, simplicity, the passing of time and impermanence. The term is made up of two distinct ideas: wabi and sabi. Wabi refers to the philosophy of living simply and in harmony with nature, unaffected by indulgence. Sabi more directly refers to aesthetic qualities and seeing the value in objects, the imperfection, asymmetry or patina of which can inspire contemplation.

No. 1

No. 2

No. 3

Keramiek '84

Although Marlies always seemed pleasantly disorganized, she sometimes submitted herself to the unwelcome rules that are part of life in the art world. 

In 1984 a major ceramics exhibition was held in Friesland. To participate, one had to send in five slides of works, which were judged by a jury who did not know the names of the artists.

One thousand ceramists were contacted. 330 responded, and after the selection process, 130 were chosen.

That must have caused quite a lot of stress in Breda. In the end, though, everything was sent to Leeuwarden on time and Marlies was, of course, admitted to the exhibition.

This is how she came to participate in the gigantic flop that was Keramiek '84.

From the bitter review by Rudy Hodel in the Leeuwarder Courant of September 7, 1984 (Keramiek '84-manifestation disappoints) it appears that the sheer variety of objects and the way they were displayed -with the main location, the Princessehof, being the low point- made it impossible for viewers to properly appreciate the works on display. 

The poor lighting and careless arrangement of the works did not do them justice, and the underlying concept was disappointing too. The result was a somewhat murky, old-fashioned,  craft-oriented overview that left everyone dissatisfied (including the artists themselves).

The exhibition was accompanied by a folder containing 40 postcards of the exhibited works, as well as a leaflet. The submitted slides should also still exist.

Next time I'm in Leeuwarden I'll visit the Princessehof - I wouldn’t be be surprised if that folder is still on sale!

An exhibition in the Beyerd in 1983

In 1983 Marlies participated in a group exhibition at the Beyerd Museum in Breda with Tsjitske Dijkstra and Annerie Teuling. 

Marjan Mes praised the exhibition - a fine design by Martin van Opdorp - in De Stem on Wednesday, 20 April 1983 (p. 20):

Ceramics, between art, decoration and function

Today's applied art, including ceramics, generally shows much affinity with contemporary painting and sculpture. They influence each other mutually and sometimes are barely separable. 

Many ceramics hardly have a practical function anymore and can mostly be viewed as objects in their own right, where the boundary between art and decoration has been blurred or removed altogether. 

The three ceramists from the Breda region, all in their late thirties and already working (inter)nationally for about fifteen years after studying at St. Joost Breda, pretty much stand between the two views. 

Their vases, pots and bowls are still recognizable as such, but in most cases you wouldn't think of putting a bunch of flowers or fruit in them. For that, form and decoration are too colorful and dominant.

Marlies van Wijk, who travels a lot (Japan and Africa, among others) and therefore has a broad vision of her craft, is the only one who is represented with a kind of conceptual, arte-povera-like work.

It consists of 903 clay "hand grips" arranged in parallel rows in the form of a square. They appear to be bones, some of which contain handwriting, forming a cross shape within the otherwise all-white piece. A fascinating object with an archaeological mysteriousness about it.

Marlies van Wijk's vases have the angular appearance of boxes with folded edges and a distinctive plastical skin.

[…]

Martin van Opdorp has beautifully designed the exhibition using a wall of gray brick as a backdrop and a partition for the artwork on display.

Original text:

No. 52

Dimensions:

Height: 6,5 cm

Width: 3,5 cm

Depth: 3,5 cm

This beautiful, delicate vase is from the same series as bowl No. 6. 

It is made of the same fine clay and is also constructed very thinly, with fine leaves that seem to wrap themselves around it. 

The end result looks fragile, light, and vulnerable. 

Marlies clearly had no problems with the technical aspects of the job.

No. 51

Dimensions:

Height: 3 cm

Width: 10 cm

Depth: 5,5 cm

This elongated platter has it all. Its edge waves in a beautiful, fluid motion. The two small tables that support it are wonderful, too. The contrast between the stenciled underside and the expressionistic polychrome painting on top is striking. It's a brilliant experiment.

No. 50

Dimensions:

Height: 4 cm

Width: 6 cm

Depth: 6 cm

This is another great example of how the decoration on the outside of the bowl seems to continue on the inside.

You really have to plan that very carefully while painting and it is definitely not accidental. 

It's great to see Marlies try this out on a small bowl and create something special.

No. 49

Dimensions:

Height: 7,5 cm

Width: 3 cm

Depth: 3 cm

Yayoi Kusama says yes to this vase:

No. 48

Dimensions:

Height: 2,5 cm 

Width: 7 cm

Depth: 6,5 cm

This is an abstract version of the fascinating face racks (No. 46). The shape probably just didn't turn out right for painting a mask on it.

One of the basic rules during Marlies' classes was to never throw anything away. It was always possible to turn it into something. 

She did just that here, choosing yellow and painting the rack with an abstract pattern. 

The combination of the wild black decoration with fine geometric lines is unique.

No. 47

Dimensions:

Height: 2,5 cm

Width: 5 cm

Depth: 5 cm

This bowl belongs together with vase No. 25. It is made of the same hard-fired material, decorated with the same colors, and polished and finished in the same way. 

Like No. 25 this bowl is characterized by its sharp corners and wavy rim, which give it a unique silhouette. 

It looks a little like a folded and warped cardboard box.

No. 46

Dimensions:

Height: 3 cm

Width: from 5 to 9 cm

Depth: from 4 to 6 cm

Some of the works in the box show more or less stylized faces - but this family of eight is really exceptional.

They are all made from rolls of clay that have been pressed flat and reshaped into clownish faces. All of the bases consist of rolled-up strings of clay, except for one, which has an angular base made of cut slices of clay. 

They are painted with incredible impact and verve. 

 

They could be clowns but just as easily Noh theatre masks. Given Marlies' keen interest in Japan, the latter is perhaps more likely. 

When displaying the work as a whole, these trays come in handy because they provide unity and depth to the installation in combination with the higher vases.

A protest: Breda without the Beeldenaar is like a baker without flour (1984)

In 1983, the Beeldenaar moved from its wonderful Ginneken location to the old Lambertus School in the center of Breda. In the early nineties it moved again, this time to the old Sint Joost building, where Marlies herself had studied from 1965 to 1969. There, the name was changed to Nieuwe Veste. She taught there until 2010.

While researching the history of the Beeldenaar, I found a great photograph of Marlies and her colleagues (Sef Peeters under the C of China Garden) protesting budget cuts at Breda City Hall in 1984. She is resting her chin on her arm, listening carefully. 

 BN De Stem, Johan van Gurp, JVG19840404052, collectie Stadsarchief Breda.

No. 45

Dimensions:

Height: 6 cm

Width: 6 cm

Depth: 6 cm

This vase on a tripod base is as wide as it is tall, so Marlies had plenty of room to paint it, which she did. One of my favorite designs in the collection - the outside pattern seems to continue on the inside! The effect is completely spontaneous, but it is very precisely handled.

No. 44

Dimensions:

Height: 3,5 cm

Width: 5 cm

Depth: 5 cm

One more tiny bowl on a stand. In contrast to No. 3, this bowl is rather shallow and has much more irregular edges, giving it a completely different appearance. The painting consists of several layers and is finished with the familiar bold black glaze pattern.