Michael Berkhemer overview

In 2009, the Mondriaanhuis museum in Amersfoort, the Netherlands, did an overview of Michael Berkhemer's work, featuring paintings, wall sculptures, and prints. Michael Berkhemer (1948) has built an impressive and varied oeuvre. His work is related to classical Dutch abstract art - especially Piet Mondrian's - and to work by international artists such as Mark Rothko, Ellsworth Kelly and Brice Marden. A richly illustrated bilingual catalogue containing art historical essays and an interview with the artist is be available.
 Author of the catalogue is dr. Cornelia Homburg. see Michael Berkhemer website

Michael Berkhemer tentoonstelling bij Mondriaanhuis 2009

Michael Berkhemer (1948) heeft een indrukwekkend, veelzijdig oeuvre opgebouwd. Zijn werk heeft raakvlakken met de Nederlandse abstracte kunst - vooral van Piet Mondriaan - en met het werk van internationale kunstenaars zoals Mark Rothko, Ellsworth Kelly en Brice Marden.
Bij de tentoonstelling in het Mondriaanhuis in 2009 verscheen een rijk geïllustreerde Nederlands- / Engelstalige catalogus met kunsthistorische bijdragen en een interview met de kunstenaar. Dr. Cornelia Homburg was samensteller van de catalogus. website Michael Berkhemer

"I have no Philosophy as far as Art is concerned": new Mondrian materials in Netherlands

Unpublished sketch by Mondrian in letter to Anna Bergman, dated 1931, collection Mondriaanhuis

In 2010 the Dutch Mondriaanhuis museum received a generous bequest by the heirs of Anna Bergman, a good friend of world-famous painter Piet Mondriaan. It was known that Cees Bergman was a friend of Mondrian; nothing was known, however of his sister Anna’s friendship with Mondrian. All materials are now on loan at the RKD in The Hague.

The Bergman archive contains several unknown letters by the painter written in 1938 and 1939, some of which contain startling information. in one letter to Cees Bergman, Mondrian states he “has no philosophy as far as art is concerned.” There are annotated pictures by Mondrian of his work, composition schemes, sketches and catalogues he gave to Anna. It also contains the typewritten first version of two Mondrian articles.
Finally, there is the correspondence between Anna Bergman and publisher Kroonder concerning the Mondrian typescript she tried to publish.


detail from letter written by Anna Bergman to publisher Kroonder,
coll. Mondriaanhuis

The Anna Bergman archive contains a first draft of two articles written by Mondrian in 1934 as he was living in his studio on the Rue du Départ in Paris: l'art nouveau, la vie nouvelle en La vraie valeur des oppositions. The cover page has the title L’art et la vie. Anna Bergman mentions in a letter to publisher Kroonder she had been given the articles by Mondrian. The typewritten articles have been corrected in Mondrians handwriting.

cover page of L’art et la vie, first draft, coll. Mondriaanhuis

Mondrian dies in 1944. Two years later Anna Bergman tries to get l'art nouveau, la vie nouvelle published. Mondrians friends Mart and Olga Stam are in on the effort because they consider the articles "a last will of sorts”. The article is a plea for a new political and social order, which would make hate and egotism disappear. the “new art” would prepare humanity and purify the minds of men for the reception of this new social order.

The article was never published in the Netherlands regardless of the fact that everything had been prepared and Dutch as well as English translations had been made. The publisher pulled back in the end. All those concerned were greatly disappointed: Anna Bergman herself, Mart and Olga Stam, and translator Til Brugman. It appeared that publication rights were with Mondrians sole heir, Harry Holtzman. Holtzman and Mondrian had rewritten the article in 1941 and Holtzman published it after Mondrians death under the title "Oppression and Freedom in Art".

Eva Kleeman, 2010