Compositie met huis 1994

Editor: So, here we have "Compositie met huis" – that's "Composition with house" – a 1994 print by Harrie A. Gerritz, hanging in the Rijksmuseum. I’m struck by the juxtaposition of simple shapes, almost childlike in their form, against what seems like a considered composition. What do you make of it? Curator: Ah, yes, Gerritz! This piece, it whispers to me of memories half-formed, like looking at a child's drawing after they’ve gone to bed, that sense of innocent wonder laced with a grown-up’s yearning. Notice the playful, almost haphazard placement of the triangles; are they mountains? Scattered thoughts? And that looping line, carefree as a kite string in the wind... or is it something darker, something binding? Does the “house” feel like shelter to you, or confinement? Editor: I definitely see the playful aspect, especially with the squiggly line. But the triangles also feel a little…uneasy, somehow. Like they’re pressing in. The house, though, it’s small, self-contained. Is that typical of Gerritz’s work? Curator: In a way, yes. Gerritz often played with these contrasts. Think of it as a visual poem. A child's landscape viewed through an adult's eye, tinged with melancholy, perhaps a dash of irony. He invites us to wander through a landscape of feelings rather than facts. Do you see any familiar faces when you gaze upon his art? I suspect not; though, it’s a mirror that throws your own colours back at you! Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way – as a mirror. Now I see that the power might be in what the viewer brings to it. Curator: Precisely. And that, my dear student, is the beauty of abstract art. Gerritz offers a suggestion, a starting point. But it is *your* experience, *your* associations, that truly complete the composition. Editor: Thanks! I definitely learned more by discussing it.