Amsterdam Historical Museum / Annual report Summary
1997
Presenting them from a bird's-eye-view, Janneke Viegers has
over the past few years painted several world cities including
New York, Moscow and Paris. She generally makes use of aerial
photographs and has also painted this picture of the Amsterdam
airport Schiphol using an aerial photo from KLM Aerocarto, dating
from 1986. Wearing thin latex gloves, Viegers applies the paint
to the canvas with her fingers. Jokingly she says : 'I've got
ten paintbrushes instead of just one.' She continues : 'I kind
of knead the colors together on the canvas. When I made Schiphol
I applied the undercoat using lots of turps. That gives a good
ground. You get a shiny undercoat that's almost a watercolor.
Most appropriate, because it's pretty wet at Schiphol. As you
see.' And why does she paint a bird's-eye-view of the cities?
'It gives you a sense of context. You are in control of the situation
and the city belongs to you.' |