Jan van der Vaart (ceramist)

Johannes Jacobus (Jan) van der Vaart (The Hague, 17 October 1931 – Leiden, 8 November 2000) was an influential Dutch ceramicist from the 20th century, known as founder of the abstract-geometric ceramics in the Netherlands.

In the 1950s he started working as a ceramicist in The Hague.

In 1958 Van der Vaart was cofounder of the artist collective Groep 58 of seven young artists, five painters, a sculptor and a ceramicist.

They wanted to oppose abstract art, in favor of realistic work.

With one of the artists, Herman Gordijn, he had one of his first exhibitions in the Haagse Kunstkring, where Van der Vaart had become and would stay a member.

A second duo exhibition there in 1960 brought one of their first art reviews in the news paper.

Beside multiple other exhibitions tater that year Van der Vaart had his first duo exhibition in Galerie D'Eend in Amsterdam with Peter de Francia.

In 1960 he settled in Amsterdam, and made study trips to Italy, France and England.

During the 1960s Van der Vaart began designing vases in large format.

These unique pieces he designed were no experiments; purity and usability were still an important starting point.

The unica were received at various exhibits with much praise and regarded by collectors as true masterpieces.

At first he made his work of stoneware and since 1961 also in porcelain.

Inspired by the idea of stacking forms, in 1961 Van der Vaart introduced the theme of the pyramid tulip vase in the contemporary visual arts.

With these stack of forms, the vases and bowls were built from tight, geometric elements, which are combined in different ways.

The functional use of his objects are of importance: a vase should contain flowers.

In 1962 Van der Vaart took part of an exhibition of six young ceramicists from Amsterdam in Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, together with Hans de Jong, Jan de Rooden, Johan van Loon, Sonja Landweer and Johnny Rolf, which signified the rebirth of artisan ceramics in the Netherlands.

In those days he started participating in Delft at the annual "Contour onzer beeldende kunst" exhibition, which presented the latest development of contemporary art.

In 1967 it was made be possible to cast his design in small series, making the work affordable for many.

In the first decades of his career Van der Vaart had developed and distributed his work himself.

In 1968 he was appointed ceramics professor at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, and especially in this position he became innovator of ceramic art in the Netherlands.

The tulip vases and towers consist of twisted or hand-shaped elements, since the 1970s also build with poured out shapes.

Van der Vaart re-used these form again for his designs, and fellow potters were inspired by him to the same.

Later, some designs were produced at the Royal Tichelaar Makkum, and since 1984 he also designed work for Rosenthal GmbH Germany.

In 1991 in the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam held the exhibition "Jan van der Vaart 35 years of ceramics," in which his entire career was represented with 350 pieces.

Especially for this occasion Van der Vaart designed a fan-shaped vase on a foot, which was produced by the Royal Tichelaar Makkum is produced (in the blue and tomato red color).

Later in life, he started making glass designs for Royal Leerdam and fulfilled assignments from the Czech Republic.

Until his retirement in 1993 he educated a new generations of potters, such as Geert Lap, Wietske van Leeuwen, Anita Manshanden, Wouter Dam, Irene Vonck, Barbara Nanning, Mieke Blits, Alberdien Rullmann and Esther Stasse assisted by Emmy van Deventer and since 1980 by Henk Trumpie.

Between 1994 and 1997 Van der Vaart made designs for the Royal Leerdam Leerdam Unica and Leerdam Serica series and some unique utensils.

The designs of Van der Vaart can be counted among the best design of the glass factory in decades.

The design for the orange vase he made in his characteristic geometric style.

It was - like that of Van der Marel - released in a limited edition of 200 pieces.

Van der Vaart was awarded the following prices:

Jan van der Vaart is considered one of the most important Dutch ceramic artists of the 20th century.

As the founder of a geometric abstract direction in postwar-ceramics he was nationally and abroad particularly influential.

His work is very recognizable due to the distinctive character and the logical and consequent development of his artistic beliefs.

From the beginning the work of Van der Vaart has been sleek and geometric.

Purity of form and usability were important requirements for Van der Vaart, and in his work he strove to reach a perfect unity of material, form and glaze.

Fifty years after the liberation in 1995, Royal Leerdam had two orange vases designed by the then chief designer of Royal Leerdam Siem van der Marel, and Jan van der Vaart.

One of the key concepts in his work was the reintroduction of the pyramid or tulips tower, a specific type of tulip vase, from the 16th century in his own constructivist form.

Van der Vaart is autodidact, and took a pottery class for amateurs at the Vrije Academie in The Hague from Just van Deventer and Theo Dobbelman.