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Masterpieces from the MFA Boston on display at High Museum
From April 19 to July 14, 2024, the High Museum of Art hosts the exhibition “Dutch Art in a Global Age: Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston”
Source: High Museum of Art · Image: Rembrandt van Rijn, Portrait of Aeltje Uylenburgh (detail), 1632. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Promised gift of Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo, in support of the Center for Netherlandish Art.
In the 17th century, Dutch merchants joined maritime trade networks stretching from Asia to the Americas and Africa. This unprecedented movement of goods, ideas, and people — both free and enslaved — gave rise to the first age of globalization, and the art of this period continues to be greatly admired. This exhibition brings together paintings — still lifes, portraits, seascapes, landscapes, architectural views and genre scenes — as well as prints, maps and decorative arts spanning the 17th and the first half of the 18th century.
The more than 100 works featured, by the period’s leading artists including Rembrandt, Jacob van Ruisdael, Frans Hals, Jan Steen, Willem Kalf and Rachel Ruysch, are presented through the lens of global exchange. These artworks show how Dutch dominance in international commerce transformed life in the Netherlands and created an extraordinary cultural flourishing. The exhibition emphasizes artistic achievement while encouraging visitors to consider the human costs of global expansion. By addressing these complex histories through up-to-date scholarship, the exhibition contextualizes 17th-century Dutch art in a fresh and compelling way. Many of the works are recent gifts or loans from Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo and Susan and Matthew Weatherbie, whose donations have elevated the Dutch holdings of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to among the finest in the world.
This exhibition is organized in partnership with the Center for Netherlandish Art (CNA) at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Through an expansive library, a residency fellowship program, and an active slate of public and academic programs, the CNA shares Dutch and Flemish art with wide audiences in Boston and beyond; stimulates multidisciplinary research and object-based learning; nurtures future generations of scholars and curators in the field; and expands public appreciation of Netherlandish art — especially works from the 17th century.
Katrin Fridriks and Jan Kaláb have achieved a remarkable synergy in their collaborative endeavor “PERFECT STORM,” seamlessly blending their individual artistic expressions to create mesmerizing pieces characterized by dynamic movement and vibrant color palettes. From their studios in the south of France and Prague, they collaborate closely, meticulously enhancing and refining each other’s work, resulting in a partnership marked by immaculate attention to detail.
In this interview, Katrin and Jan delve into the genesis and evolution of their collaborative works, highlighting the unexpected synergies that arise from merging their distinct artistic styles. Emphasizing the importance of respect and openness in their collaboration, they explore the delicate balance they’ve struck between their divergent approaches.
Could you highlight a particular artwork that both of you are especially proud of? What makes this piece stand out among your body of work?
Katrin: Two artworks that are exhibiting right now in Venice, “CC Atlantean Thunderstorm” and “Inner Space of Red Moon 523” at the European Cultural Centre, where we both worked and painted each other’s art. The first is Jan’s work, which I overlay with paint in one shot. It’s perfectly well balanced between us in size, shape, color tones, and mass of paint.
The one-shot splash is from a technical aspect and super sharp in macro details; it’s really beautiful, and I am very fond of it. The second piece is my round painting covered in full macro leaking technique, which Jan overlayed with aerograph paint and a super-refined white stroke brush, very elegant and very balanced. I am very proud of these two particular works.
Your individual artistic styles, one characterized by speed, gravity, and flow, and the other by depth, geometry, and slow motion, initially appear divergent. How do you navigate these stylistic differences in your collaborative works, and have you discovered any unexpected synergies emerging from this juxtaposition of styles?
Katrin: It was unexpected how well our works meld, conceptualize, and interact, that’s for sure. I think it’s very important to respect each other’s spaces first and foremost; I navigate by searching for balance, both from the artists as well as their works. In our case, I love the simplicity yet repetitiveness, shading colors tones from Jan and with my works. It’s totally unexpected, spontaneous, hazardous, so you never know what will come; you have to construct it step by step.
Each collaboration is a new experience. I found it super exciting this research of approx. 20 pieces. In my opinion, 12 of them are excellent pieces. I tried many different approaches such as with the artwork “Butchered by Richter, M. Ducamp” presented at BC Gallery in Switzerland. My approach was that I ripped off the painted canvas from Jan’s smaller works; that moment I was so annoyed, after restretching it differently, and reinstalled it on his frame which I spray-painted it in pitch black, sometimes “less is more” are great surprises.
How has your art evolved since the inception of your collaboration?
Katrin: I’ve been very inspired by reworking new fronts and backgrounds with my team at the Studio, especially new monochrome colors and researching new color tones. There’s also something very new like “Pastel” Sunset Color Tone coming for Knokke at Galerie Sept – on the Belgium coast this summer and a solo project “Metallic Copper Color” in London at JD Malat gallery in autumn.
Did you immediately recognize the significance of what you were creating, or did it involve a process of trial and error to refine your collaborative approach?
Jan: It wasn’t an immediate realization of the significance of what we were creating. Rather, it involved a considerable process of trial and error. Collaborating with an artist whose approach differs so greatly from mine meant that each step was a discovery and a challenge.
We needed to refine how we interacted with each other’s work, finding a balance between our distinct styles. This iterative process was crucial in developing a synergy that respected both of our artistic expressions while also creating something new and vibrant. Each artwork evolved as a conversation in colors and forms, shaping our understanding of the project’s potential impact as we progressed.
Could you highlight a particular artwork that both of you are especially proud of? What makes this piece stand out among your body of work?
Jan: My favorite piece is the round painting called “Inner Space of Red Moon 523”. Katrin just added this unfinished painting of hers to the first exchange package. When I opened the shipment in my studio, I was surprised and challenged to work on this unexpected one. This process highlighted the importance of flexibility and openness in collaboration, allowing us to respond creatively to the unexpected elements each of us brought to the table.
Your individual artistic styles, one characterized by speed, gravity, and flow, and the other by depth, geometry, and slow motion, initially appear divergent. How do you navigate these stylistic differences in your collaborative works, and have you discovered any unexpected synergies emerging from this juxtaposition of styles?
Jan: Reflecting on my collaboration with Katrin, I would say that the journey was exploratory, with each session at the canvas teaching us more about our combined potential. We had to learn how to merge our distinct artistic voices, which involved a significant amount of adaptation and experimentation.
The process was a continuous dialogue, not just between us as artists but also between our differing techniques. This collaboration pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me the value of trusting another artist’s vision within my own work. Ultimately, it was an enriching experience that broadened my perspective on what is possible when contrasting styles converge creatively.
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