m.simons is proud to present Feet of Clay (2023), Ido Vunderink's first solo exhibition at the gallery at Lijnbaansgracht 318 in Amsterdam. The six distinctive works (80x60cm) explore the artist's ever-growing vocabulary of geometric composition and color scheme, a testament to Vunderink's artistic journey in contemporary art.
In Feet of Clay, each of the six paintings contains a color scheme consisting of three primary and three secondary colors with a white top plane. The lower and middle sections of the paintings consist of two squares and four sections of squares, over which the six colors (primary and secondary) are distributed. This strategic use of color and composition reveals a unique combination of resolute lines and imbalance and also alludes to the title of the exhibition. The phrase Feet of Clay symbolizes vulnerability or shortcoming within prominent individuals or societies. It stems from the Biblical story from the Book of Daniel, in which a colossal statue in beautiful metals but for its feet of mixed iron and clay is easily shattered. Vunderink's paintings embody this metaphor, with compositions based on a delicate balance of instability.
The exhibition will be on view from September 8 until October 14, 2023 and is part of the 2023 Art Amsterdam September program at m.simons.
Ido Vunderink was born in Amsterdam in 1955 and studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. Since the 1980’s Ido Vunderink has been shown extensively both nationally and internationally in solo- as well as in group exhibitions. Aside from his work in installations and figurative painting as part of the group Seymour Likely (1989 - 1995), geometrically abstract painting and work on paper has been the focus in his artistic career. Solo exhibitions include “Untitled”, Willem Baars Projects (2016); “Men, Women and Children”, Vleeshal, Middelburg (1993); “Faces and Names”, Galeria Il Ponte, Rome, Italy (1992); “Brussels Junior High”, Beursschouwburg, Brussels, Belgium; “It’s a Boy”, Centraal Museum Utrecht, Utrecht and “Paintings”, Galerie Zebra, Amsterdam (1982). Group exhibitions include “Quantum Vis”, Service Garage, Amsterdam (2009); “Wall of Fame”, Nachtwacht Research Program, Amsterdam (2007-8); “The Rimmfishhorn Handicap” Istanbul Biennial, Istanbul, Turkey (1993); “Black Power” Kunstverein, Dusseldorf, Germany (1992); “Team Spirit”, various spaces in the USA and Canada (1990); “Never marry a Railroadman”, Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam (1989) and “The Dangerous Kitchen”, Wetering Galerie, Amsterdam (1988).
