Richard Kooyman: On Beauty
Fans of Richard Kooyman’s paintings might be interested in following along with his new Substack, On Beauty. Having had the fortune of working alongside Richard for almost three years now, it is especially fulfilling for me to be able to keep up with his writing through his Substack essays that land in my inbox from time to time. Carving out some quiet time to read Richard’s essays has given me an even greater understanding and appreciation for his work and the way he sees and interprets our natural world.
In an early essay describing how formative the experience of seeing Cezanne’s Plate of Apples was for him as a young artist, he notes that Cezanne “taught me that the nature I paint is something different than real places in nature. Nature is a different type of beauty. These are paintings, beautiful things unto themselves.”
In Leeuwarden 1962, Richard details the first trip he took on an airplane as a six year old, accompanying his parents and sister to the Netherlands. It was the first time his parents had been back since immigrating to the US shortly after World War II. Richard’s family visited an artist friend during their trip and the experience of pulling back a rich velvet curtain that separated the artist’s living space from his studio has stayed with Richard his entire life. The moment Richard stepped behind the curtain was filled with magic and wonder, and left a lasting impression.
“I pull aside a symbolic curtain whenever I start a new painting. The task is to take the four-dimensional information in the world and transform it onto a two-dimensional flat canvas. What I aim to achieve, and it doesn’t happen all the time, could be described as an aura or something that might be considered beauty.” Later reflecting on this transformative, tangible experience, Richard sums it up beautifully: “I had an experience that opened me up to future experiences where I saw the power that art has in the world. I was in the right place to want to learn more, to experience the sense that beauty in art makes life full and wondrous.”
I have always considered it a gift to be surrounded by the work of our artists here at the gallery, Richard’s included. To now have the chance to further reflect on Richard’s thoughtful perspective on art and its role in our lives makes that gift even greater.
Scroll down for glimpses of some of the work by Richard Kooyman we are fortunate to have on our walls.
A view of Richard’s Pink Sky painting, a framed 18in x 24in oil on canvas.
Arcadia Marsh - Looking South, a 20in x 30in oil on canvas
A view of Two Pines on the Beach, a 20 x 22in oil on canvas on the left; on the right is Richard’s 30in x 48in Pines Near the Beach painting.
A gallery favorite is Richard’s Dusk painting, a 18 x 24in oil on canvas.
