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PAINT IT BLACK

19 september 2020 until 28 february 2021

Immerse yourself in the mysterious installation Black water by Armando. Experience in the dark how the smooth, reflective ink-black surface creates the illusion of an unfathomable depth. On display for the first time at the Kröller-Müller Museum!

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Black water (1964) by Armando (Amsterdam, 1929-Potsdam, 2018), a basin filled with water in an almost entirely darkened space, is the centrepiece of the exhibition Paint it black. This is the first time that the work has been installed in the museum. In the exhibition, Black water is surrounded by thirteen ‘celebrities’ from the collection, many of whom haven’t seen the light of day in decades. Black also plays an important role in the works of Jo Baer, Ad Reinhardt, Richard Serra, Robert Morris, Louise Nevelson, Francesco Lo Savio, Tony Smith and others.

BLACK IS SO MANY THINGS

In art, black can represent the ultimate reduction, the absolute zero. Black absorbs everything, both colour and form. It may be neutral, but also heavy with meaning. It might represent the absence of light and the discomforting darkness, or death and destruction, or status and importance. Sometimes artists use black in an exploration of form and composition. Or a black surface – the absence of colour – can emphasize the properties of a material or the unity of a composition.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: SKY CATHEDRAL III, LOUISE NEVELSON

Sky Cathedral III (1959) is an early example of the black wall sculptures that Louise Nevelson has created since the 1950s. She constructs the sculptures from stacked wooden boxes and crates, which she then fills with old items that she collects from the streets of New York. By painting the entire construction black, she unites the various elements into one powerful whole.

“When I fell in love with black, it contained all colour. It wasn’t a negation of colour. It was an acceptance. Because black encompasses all colours. Black is the most aristocratic colour of all.”
— Louise Nevelson
“. . . Black water . . . also originated almost incidentally. I lived on the Prins Hendrikkade, and when I was walking there at night, the street lights cast a rosy light on the water, so that it almost looked black. A little eerie. That kind of beauty affects me.”
— Armando

PAINT IT BLACK - THE ROLLING STONES

The title Paint it black refers to the 1966 song of the same name by the Rolling Stones but, like the song, it should not be taken too literally. The song refers to personal suffering, but also to the dissatisfaction of a younger generation with the political and social structures of that time. The same discontent that also led to major upheavals in art. Most of the works in the exhibition were also created in the same period.

Images: Armando, Zwart water, 1964, Kunstmuseum Den Haag, photo: ©Philip Mechanicus/MAI / Black water at the Kröler-Müller Museum, photo: Marjon Gemmeke /Exhibition view Paint it black, photo: Marjon Gemmeke / Louise Nevelson, Sky Cathedral III, 1959, photo: Cary Markerink