Mondrian not Mondriaan
I’m creating this series of paintings as a gentle protest.
A gentle protest against the Dutch museums and cultural institutions who continue to refer to Mondrian as Mondriaan.
When Piet Mondrian moved to Paris in 1912, he officially changed his name. He dropped an "a" from "Mondriaan", as he wanted to distance himself from his Dutch roots and form the very appropriate anagram “I Paint Modern”.
Despite his name change, in the Netherlands Mondrian is still called Mondriaan. This is maintained and further propagated by the Dutch museums and cultural institutions who continue to refer to the artist as Mondriaan.
I believe this is wrong. It is a postcolonial mindset that disrespects the wishes of this groundbreaking artist, whose influence on Dutch and modern western culture is hard to overstate.
If you agree that this is wrong, please sign the petition aiming to right this wrong and let Mondrian be called Mondrian, also in the Netherlands, like everywhere else in the world.
Dropping Black
After 15 years of experimentation, Mondrian decided to only use the primary colours + white, grey and black.
However, I noted that, after he moved to New York City in October 1940, he gradually phased out the use of black in his work, reducing his color palette even further.
I think he did so because the color black just doesn’t jive with the energy and liveliness of New York City, his main source of inspiration at that time.
By omitting black, Mondrian removed the calvinistic strictness embedded in his previous work, allowing for playfulness, liberty and upbeatness.
He really made his paintings dance.
Raising Entropy
Mondrian made more changes to his style while living in New York City.
When you study the evolution of his works, you’ll find that he gradually increased the number of elements in his compositions, by introducing elements of smaller sizes. The boundary between lines and planes starts to disappear and the asymmetries within the compositions increase further and further.
He basically increased the entropy of his paintings, to match New York City levels.
Open Horizons
Horizons were important in Mondrian’s works.
They often featured in the polder landscapes of his early figurative days. They played an important role in his first steps towards abstraction, in his series of works depicting the Scheveningen pier and ocean. And I believe that they are still present in his later abstract work.
Why?
Because horizons bring balance, calm and a sense of positivity.
Moreover, they breed optimism.
Once I read a piece of research that claimed that the prevalence of a higher sense of optimism among the Dutch stems from the ubiquity of open horizons, given the flatness of their country.
I could not find this piece of research again, but I surely believe it.
The Reincarnation Paradox
People have asked me, why so obsessed with Mondrian?
My kids like to think that I think that I’m Mondrians’ reincarnation.
I don’t think so, but I play along, because I think it’s funny that they think so.
But how would I know?
