Beschreibung:

69 2699 Art VIA Vereniging voor irrealisme en abstractie in de beeldende kunst 69/2699 [Art]. VIA. Vereniging voor irrealisme en abstractie in de beeldende kunst. Archive, from the property of STEEF DE VRIES, ±1949-1975, consisting of hundreds of items ((carbon copies of) typescript letters, autograph signed letters and postcards, newspaper clippings and sm. publications). - Including a small number of photocopies of letters. = Steven ("Steef") de Vries (1909-?), was a pivotal figure in the postwar artworld of Schiedam/ Rotterdam, who had numerous contacts with modern Dutch, French and to a lesser extent German modern artists. The letters and postcards are often about (practical) initiatives to further the careers of these artists (the establishing of the artist's movement VIA in 1950 (the first four years under the chairmanship of Steef de Vries), exhibitions, press contacts and the reception of their work) and the group of artists working together under the name CREATIE. Members of these two groups (partly overlapping) included i.a. Greet van Amstel, Armando, Willy Boers, Ger Gerrits Wout van Heusden, Piet Stuivenberg, E. Voeten and André van der Vossen. De Vries was also active as collector of modern art, his main focus was on the art of the Dutch members of the Cobra movement. Prominent in the present archive is a subsection concerning the sculptor Piet van Stuivenberg (16 autograph letters signed, i.a. on his sculptures "Dolle Jans droom" and on the sale to the Rotterdamse Kunst Stichting of a work that he describes as "meisje kop, die met de zonnebril op (...) Ik had 3500 gulden er voor gevraagd, zij stelde voor dat zei hem kochten voor fl.5000,-, en of ik het daarvoor wilde geven, ik zei, dat doen wij dan maar", and incl. ±25 photographs of his works). Other names and subjects are i.a. PHILIPPE DOTREMONT (on an appointment to view his collection), GER GERRITS (an interesting collection of autograph letters and postcards on i.a. the (stressfull) preparations for an exhibition by Nieuwe Beelden in the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (i.a. showing the influential involvement of Sandberg and Jaffé) and on two murals in an art school, one by himself and Willy Boers and the other by Rooskens and Brands; also on a meeting of the newly founded group "Creatie" at which attendants will be able to listen to "heel bijzondere" gramophone records of music by "Afrikanen en negers"), CLAUDE VISEUX (several autograph and typescript letters, on the sale of his works and on visits to Steef de Vries). Other items of interest are autograph letters and notes by i.a. WILLY BOERS, LOTTI VAN DER GAAG WOUT VAN HEUSDEN, HARRY DISBERG, W. HUSSEM, HARRY VAN KRUININGEN MARIA MANTON, NONO REINHOLD GUST ROMIJN, COOS VAN VLIJMEN, VORDEMBERGE-GILDEWART, ANDRÉ VAN DER VOSSEN and JAAP WAGEMAKER