Jon Boetes – Sculpting for Peace

The seed of inspiration for this project came due to a comment from his daughter, Jody Lee: ‘Will I ever find peace in this life?’ during her long and arduous recuperation after being in a coma for six years, because of a bicycle accident. This was then enforced, when, after John attended a charity concert in which Barbara Streisand, before singing her song ‘Somewhere,’ dedicated it to, ‘memories of all those good men whose lives have senselessly and violently been snuffed out like a candle.’

Before each sculpture can be started John makes a prototype in cement, an army of fifteen Indian workers, skilled carvers in black granite, then copies this. A difficult material to work with, but the inhabitants of Mahabalipuram are expert in working with this notoriously hard stone, unique to the region of Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu.

Where the peace park will be situated in the world John has not quite decided yet, but seeing as each sculpture can take anywhere from up to a year or more to realize from start to finish and weighs between 1.5 to 2 tons, the project is quite a lengthy one.

A completed bust of Gandhi (which took five months to make) will shortly be shipped to Groningen sometime in the spring of this year, with the idea of taking pride of place on the Gandhiplein, near the Hoornse Meer (Hoornse Lake).

John divides his year between his house in Groningen and his ongoing project in Tamil Nadu in India.

© Alison Day

Alison Day Design 

First published in the Connections magazine #19 Spring 2008 

Groningen Street Art

Magnificent buildings aside Groningen also boasts 400 sculptures and other artistic creations within its city limits. To be found all over in parks, public places, on bridges and street corners, they are permanently on show and open to the elements. Often we see them with such regularity in our daily lives that we don’t really see them anymore.

One such sculpture along the Boteringesingel in the Noorderplantsoen is of a large bull, ‘de Wisent’ (European bison). Created by the Groninger artist Wladimir de Vries (1917–2001), it measures two by three metres long and weighs ten tons and is one of ten statures that can be accredited to him in the city. The bull is a solid primitive form with limbs and head fused into a solid imposing grey mass. Taking a year and a half to sculpt during which eight tons of stone were chipped away before the creature finally emerged.

A sculptor of the old school, Wladimir de Vries would first work out his idea in clay, then once satisfied go to work on the designated piece of stone with chisels and sledgehammers: a time consuming and arduous task. His work is predominantly figurative which exudes a sense of pride and joy. Woman is often a reoccurring theme; the sensual nature of which often caused much debate with not only his clientele but also the public.

Probably his most renowned work is that of ‘Landbouw en Veeteelt’ (Agriculture and Cattle breeding), to be found on the Herebrug (Here bridge) and depicts an urban virgin. She is naked except for a few ears of corn wrapped around her middle and has her foot placed on a calf lying at her feet. In 1953, when it was placed on the bridge it was received with mixed emotions. Some found her too naked, whilst others found the rather strange proportions of her body disturbing. Children on the other hand, were bothered by the plight of the poor calf under her large foot. However, over the years she has obviously grown on the Groningers who have dubbed her ‘Blote Bet’ (Bare Bet).

© Alison Day

Alison Day Design 

First published in the Connections magazine #15 Winter 2007 

Ultra by Silvia B

The mysterious and intriguing figure of Ultra an 8-meter high effigy can be found in front of the Cascade-complex on the Emmasingel in Groningen. She was brought to Groningen by boat all the way from Rotterdam and unveiled in October 2004. Ultra is the creation of Silvia B a Rotterdam based artist.

Commissioned by patrons from both the private and the public sector, the CBK (Centrum van Beeldende Kunst – The Center of Expressive Art), RGD-Noord, and Amstelland Vastgoed. The project was meant to contradict and contrast with the postmodern architecturally dominated area of the buildings in the Cascade-complex, and to be big enough to be visible at quite a distance. The whole project was realized with a total budget of €200.000.

Ultra was made in cast iron with white polyurethane painted skin and dressed in stainless and corten steel. A study of Celtic and tribal tattoos brought Silvia to the idea of using spiral forms in the skirt and these appear in seven different sizes all over the preformed chicken wire ‘crinoline skirt’, giving it a very realistic effect.

At first glance she seems to represent a very elegant woman in period costume with a palely powdered face, large bustle and crinoline skirt, but on closer examination the piercing just under the bottom lip, the praying mantis spike-like arms on which she supports herself, and her superfluous dangling little legs conjures up images of a futuristic world where the human body seems to have disturbingly mutated.

Silvia B’s inspiration for this image comes from the present day scientific developments, which contribute to the ‘make able’, person. As to her thought processes when creating and producing her work Silvia says: ‘I work on the borders of beauty. Fusing conflicting elements, the sculptures question our current concept of aesthetics’. Nevertheless this anti beauty does has an imposing charm.

© Alison Day

Alison Day Design

First published in the Connections magazine #10 Winter 2006