Kees Smits / Bio
Smits’ abstract geometric paintings deal with how one experience different perspective in the flat Dutch landscape. He tries to catch the panoramic view of the Dutch landscape in different schemes. Both in his long horizontal works, which can consist of different sizes of canvases, and in his narrow vertical works he focuses on a literal perspective experience in viewing the space. Smits’ preoccupation with perspective on a flat plane goes back to the experiments of Russian constructivists such as El Lissitsky. His love for Malevich the way his paintings have been organized. Also in the use of bright and contrastful colors there ia a connection with the pioneer of abstract art.
Kees Smits, born in 1945 in Kortgene (NL), lives and works in Amsterdam. He became known as an artist at the time he participated at the Fundamental Painting show in the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam in 1979. Since then his paintings have been shown regularly. In 1994 he had an overview of his works in the Centraalmuseum Utrecht, on which occasion also a catalog had been published. Smits has been showing at Slewe Gallery on a regular base since 1995.
