First published: Fall 2001
The ten works by Willem Van Genk shown at the Slovakian National Museum in Bratislava earlier this year, were a modest but fascinating selection from an oeuvre that served its maker for over fifty years as a way of eluding perceived enemies.
The exhibited paintings and drawings came to light when Van Genk’s flat in The Hague was cleared out in 1998 after the artist had been forced to move into sheltered lodgings because of deteriorating health.
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A collection of thousands of books and racks of raincoats had converted his flat into a fortress against the menacing hordes he believed were plotting to kick down his door and haul him off to jail.
This is an article extract; read the full article in Raw Vision #36
