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Untitled
Artist Hugo Kaagman (1955)
Title Untitled
Year 1994
Material Acrylic on linen
About the work Several elements come together in this work. At the bottom you can see a reference to a thousand-guilder banknote. This text forms the basis for the image of the headquarters of De Nederlandsche Bank. From the cloud cover rises the form of Jesus Christ, connected to the bank building by roots or lightning bolts. By bringing these different elements together, renowned street artist Hugo Kaagman creates space for a variety of associations and interpretations. Is he comparing the role of Jesus and De Nederlandsche Bank as protectors of society? Or is he, as a true punk, mocking the central role of money in our society?
About the artist Kaagman enjoyed sketching as a child, but went on to study social geography in Amsterdam in 1972. Art kept him in its grips both during and after his studies: he organised various performances and discovered the potential of graffiti, inspired by the emerging punk movement. With spray paint and homemade stencils in hand, he set off for Amsterdam to ‘spray everything that doesn’t spray me first,’ as he himself says. Later, he also painted commissioned work and on canvas, as he wanted to perfect his technique. His work brings together all kinds of influences: from Delft Blue ceramics to motifs on Moroccan tiles, and from brand logos to famous figures, such as Elvis Presley and Rembrandt.
In the collection This work has been part of De Nederlandsche Bank’s art collection since 2016. Kaagman’s inspiration for this work came from living opposite the headquarters of De Nederlandsche Bank on Frederiksplein in 1994. Apart from this work, 15 other works by Kaagman were acquired between 1995 and 2007, including two series of magnified Moroccan motifs and sculptures of butterflies sprayed with a variety of motifs and patterns.
