Gust Romijn
1922 - 2010. The Netherlands
The œuvre by graphic artist, painter, and sculptor Gust Romijn (1922-2010) underwent rapid evolution during the 1950s and 1960s. While his artistic debut still bore the influence of CoBrA, by the mid-1950s, the Dutch artist had already emerged as an abstract expressionist and Zero artist. In the 1960s and 1970s, he successively experimented with Pop Art and Land Art.
The exhibition at Fabriek Noord provides insight into Romijn's experimental spirit, while emphasizing the art historical significance of his abstract expressionist period and his affiliation with anti-peinture and Zero art.
Through his industrial assemblages, gestural ink drawings, and raw oil paintings, Romijn made a substantial contribution to the international momentum at which painting reached a Zero point, simultaneously laying the foundation for the rise of conceptual art.
From 1958 onwards, Romijn was closely involved with the Zero movement in the Netherlands. He maintained friendly connections with the eccentrically playful Italian artist Piero Manzoni, who also showcased Romijn's work in Italy.