The Life and Training of Joris Geurts

Born in 1958 in Oss, Netherlands, Joris Geurts has spent his life exploring various forms of creative expression. His interests extend beyond the canvas, as he is also a musician, a draftsperson, and a graphic artist. This multidisciplinary approach allows him to move between the roles of a painter and a visual artist with a natural ease. He currently lives and works in Amsterdam, where he continues to develop his practice.

His formal education began in the late 1970s. From 1977 to 1979, he studied at the Akademie voor beeldende kunsten in Breda. Seeking to further refine his technical skills, he moved on to the Akademie voor Kunst en Industrie in Enschede, where he studied from 1979 to 1981. These years of study provided the foundation for a career that has seen him working across many different mediums and formats.

Artistic Style and Technique

Geurts approaches his subjects with the mindset of an investigator. He does not merely look at the world; he searches for the essence of what he observes, attempting to find the core of a thing through a careful, almost clinical scrutiny. This pursuit of the fundamental nature of his subjects makes him a true colorist. He uses color not just to decorate, but to uncover the underlying truth of the things he sees.

His practice often moves between different mediums, though he shows a particular affinity for works on paper. There is a sense of directness in his handling of materials, a way of stripping away the unnecessary to reach something more substantial. This method allows him to explore the relationship between light, pigment, and the physical surface of his work.

His technical approach is marked by a search for clarity. He seeks to understand the structure of his subjects, much like a researcher might study a specimen, yet his results are deeply tied to the visual impact of his palette. This balance between investigation and color defines his presence in the contemporary art scene, a presence supported by his representation at Slewe Gallery.

Exhibition History and Solo Shows

Joris Geurts has maintained a steady presence in the Dutch art scene for decades, often returning to the same spaces to share his evolving vision. His relationship with Slewe Gallery in Amsterdam has been particularly enduring, spanning many years of solo presentations. In 2019, he returned to the gallery for a solo show, following a series of distinct exhibitions there. These earlier presentations included New Watercolours in 2016 and Colored Time in 2014. He also brought his work to the gallery in 2012 with Nouvelles Images and in 2010 with Slow Sense.

Looking back at the earlier stages of his career, his solo exhibitions took him to various notable venues across the Netherlands. In 1992, he held a solo show at De Kunstzaal Hengelo. This followed a period of activity in the late eighties and early nineties, including a 1990 exhibition at Art & Project and a 1989 show at De Expeditie in Amsterdam.

• Untitled (about 1990) - Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Enschede

Selected Group Exhibitions

Throughout his career, Geurts has been a frequent presence in various group settings, often sharing space with other contemporary voices. In 1986, his work was part of the Amsterdamse notities exhibition at Museum Fodor in Amsterdam. This was followed by his inclusion in the 1988 Confrontaciones exhibition held at the Museo Espanol de Arte Contemporaneo in Madrid. By 1989, his work traveled further to Art Space in Aberdeen for the exhibition A View from the Hill.

His later years have seen continued engagement with established galleries and institutions. In 2010, he participated in the 50 Years Nouvelles Images exhibition. He was also included in the 2011 Why Patterns? show at Slewe Gallery in Amsterdam. The gallery later invited him to participate in the 2014 20 Years Slewe exhibition. During that same year, he was part of the Water, land en Dijken exhibition at Museum Waterland in Purmerend.

More recently, Geurts was featured in the 2016 exhibition Koen Vermeule en Joris Geurts at Het Van GoghHuis in Zundert. His presence in these collections and exhibitions reflects a steady involvement in the Dutch and international art scenes over several decades.

Where to See the Works Today

Finding the physical traces of Joris Geurts's practice often requires a trip through the various cultural landscapes of the Netherlands. His presence in public collections is felt in several significant institutions, where his visual language is preserved for study and viewing. In Amsterdam, his works are held within the Stedelijk Museum and the Museum Fodor, placing his contributions within the broader context of the city's artistic history. His pieces also reside in the collection of the Van Reekum Museum in Apeldoorn, as well as the Mondriaanhuis in Winterswijk.

The reach of his work extends into several regional museums that care for his legacy. You can find his art in the Rijksmuseum Twenthe in Enschede and within the collections of the Museum de Wieger in Deurne. Additionally, his work is part of the holdings at the Museum Waterland in Purmerend. These locations ensure that his contributions to the visual arts remain accessible to those interested in his specific approach to color and form.