The Multidisciplinary Vision of Johan Lennarts
Johan Lennarts was a Dutch artist whose creative output spanned a vast array of mediums, including sculpture, glass-painting, canvas painting, photography, and installation art. Beyond the visual arts, he was a prolific writer, composing poems, theatre plays, and novels. His artistic journey began in childhood, and after a period of study at the Beekvliet seminary, he returned to drawing during his time at the HBS. Although he attended the Royal Academy of the Arts in den Bosch and the Art Academy in Tillburg, he is often considered a self-taught artist.
His stylistic evolution was marked by significant shifts. In the 1950s, he worked under the influence of the CoBrA movement and joined the association Vrije Expressieven. He later co-founded the collective Schijt aan Schilderkunst (SAS), an exhibition of which showcased his fascination with the color green, leading to the creation of his own “lennartsgreen.” In the 1970s, his work transitioned into a "second Lennarts" phase, characterized by cheerful landscapes executed in a calligraphic manner.
Themes and Subject Matter
Lennarts’s work frequently explored diverse subjects, ranging from portraits and animals to flowers. His later period was deeply influenced by the philosophical writings of Ludwig Wittgenstein and Martin Heidegger, resulting in paintings of "empty places." These compositions included:
His literary achievements include the novel Koekoeksklok in Utopia (A Cuckoo Clock in Utopia). Throughout his life, Lennarts lived in various locations, including Eindhoven, Griendtsveen, and Amsterdam, before ultimately moving to France.
