Virtual Museum of Johan Framhout, for contemporary art with feeling

I came by chance on Johan Framhout’s Virtual Museum, the creator and owner of this site, a very versatile man. I like to dedicate an article on this wonderful Virtual Museum. Johan says: “I am also creative (see art7d.be) and I have too much works to hang on my own walls! I dreamed of a museum that showcases contemporary fine art, unlike the repulsive and shocking art that fills our museums for contemporary art”. Because his funds imposed restrictions on him, he had to find other ways and thus he was creating VM! It has become a large museum, with 99 pages filled with art. Those pages are actually virtual rooms, as each page contains many paintings. All categorized by style, subject, etc. And Johan is the curator. I am proud that he shows two of my paintings in this museum (Icarus and Dancing Apollo) . In his blog he shows his own work. It is very versatile, from paintings in 2D and 3D, to poetry and books he wrote. If you want to know all about him, read his resume. In his blog he talks about his own activities and also about music in collaboration with Gerda Abts.

Introduction

This I read in my first introduction to his homepage and my interest was immediately aroused:

“At last the art is delivered from the tyranny of the feelings” is a well known statement from Jan Hoet, who is regarded as being the pope of art in Belgium. This is a clear statement about the psychological caracter of art.

From psychology we know feeling is never a tyrant. The tyrant is always the mind. Continually men try to oppress his feelings and to place it under control of the mind. Often a partition has been built in the body to prevent communication between the brain and the belly. But men are emotional beings and suppression causes diseases, and/or outrageous behaviour. That is not tyranny, but a trial to escape the prison of the tyrant.

So the true statement is “At last the art is completely under the tyranny of the mind”. One can also say: at last art is dead, because art IS feeling. By the supremacy of the mind men can be oppressed. Feelings cause disorder and resistance, so not welcome for the oppressor.

Originality is often used as an excuse for the art of ideas. Since Duchamps placed his first urinal on an exhibition in 1930 almost hundred years are passed by! Can this art of ideas still be called original?

We can see a world wide movement in art with a comeback of the feelings, of beauty and passion. Also in this site is chosen for art that can touch us. Nobody has the right to call himself an authority in art. If you are disguised from certain art or indifferent, nobody should say: you are too stupid to understand art.

So everybody chooses which art to look on and nobody is an authority for that, neither is this site.

How can one get a certain expertise in art? By watching, watching and watching.

(Jan Hoet died February 26, 2014, two days after this writing.)

I totally agree on his point of view and I have nothing to add.

More about Johan

Johan Framhout learned to draw, paint and write from childhood in an autodidact way. To this goal he carefully studied ancient and modern painting techniques. He attended numerous courses and training in body expression, vocalization, creative drama, clown theater, mixed forms of expression, yoga, etc … For years he taught body expression and mixed forms of expression in which painting, writing, sounds, drama and movement were combined with meditation used as means of expression, self-discovery and communication with each other, both to young and adults.

Johan’s website is very comprehensive, very much contemporary art expressions are discussed.