Artist: Rob Møhlmann Technique: oilpaint Date of exhibition: February 15 - March 30, 2003 Parallel: Anita Franken, Ad Haring and Wim van der Kant

Take a look at the virtual tour Ed Ubels made of this exhibition.

Rob Møhlmann is not only a very realistic painter, he is also a bit of an outsider in the world of art. Blessed with a talent to paint everyday reality almost titillatingly, he also finds time to write articles and books, to knock up a museum for contemporary realistic and figurative art and - together with his wife Laura - he organises a large number of exhibitions every year. Meanwhile he has been painting for 25 years now. Reason to organise a anniversary exhibition in his own museum (over 200 works, and a series of 124).

Orde en een nieuwe kwast (in lijst van boerenerfhout met monochrome resten), Rob Møhlmann, 2002, o/p, 40x40cm. | zoom |

Repos Rouge (in emaillen lijst, ingelegd met oud hout), Rob Møhlmann, 2002, o/p, 40x40cm. | zoom | Tros-tomaten, Rob Møhlmann, 2002, o/p, 20x40cm. | zoom | Roodbostje, Rob Møhlmann, 2002, o/p, 13,5x30cm. | zoom | Over de datum, Rob Møhlmann, 2002, o/p, 22x50cm. | zoom | Pruimentak van eigen boom, Rob Møhlmann, 2002, o/p, 20x40cm. | zoom | Verse champignons, Rob Møhlmann, 2002, o/p, 17,5x41cm. (particuliere collectie) | zoom | Komvol pijpenkopjes, Rob Møhlmann, 2002, o/p, 24x24cm. | zoom |

In October 1977 Rob Møhlmann paint his first picture in oil, not troubled by any skill whatsoever. He paints - at first in a somewhat loose style - almost everything that meets his eyes, but there is always a realistic slant to it. For him no picturesque spots, but demolition sites; no well-balanced still life with flowers, but a bunch of shrivelled tulips, or his own wife, worn-out behind the spin-drier. Within two years he has his first exhibition at the "Heinekengalerij", in those days a well-known gallery with long display windows at the Ferdinand Bolstraat in Amsterdam. His work draws attention. Passengers in the passing tram discuss the lifelike jet of water coming out of the spin-drier. Soon the owners of the respectable gallery Lieve Hemel turn up at his doorstep and he will exhibit at that gallery for the next decade. In 1982 he starts work at his now renowned Canto-Project. The series is completely running out of control and the initially planned 10 variations on an ordinary can become a series of 124 and meanwhile the year is 1993. The painter refuses - despite his sometimes sorry existence - to sell even a single painting of this series. Shortly after its completion the Canto-Project travels for two years up and down The Netherlands and gains both admiration and amazement. Today the project is an appreciated part of the permanent collections of Museum Møhlmann. Meanwhile, in the seclusion of his studio, the painter develops the so-called "from-aboves": a still life observed from the highest point above it, a true discovery in the history of art, because this point of view was to all intents and purposes never practised. Soon the reason why became clear: it is very difficult, exhausting, and damaging to the artist's back. Møhlmann sometimes also paints falling objects, seen from straight above and with deadly precision. In 1995 Rob starts his own gallery to exhibit his own work. But soon also here things are running out of control. He starts the annual Independent Realistic Exhibition (IRE) with works of some 50 colleagues. All this leads to the founding of Museum Møhlmann. Together with his wife, Laura, he strives to provide contemporary realistic and figurative art with a recognizable platform. Today the Museum houses three permanent collections. Besides that, there is a different "guest-exhibition" with work of fellow-artists every six weeks. Parallel to this, there usually is a separate group-exhibition of some 35 realists, each with on average three works of art. All in all there are constantly about 400 works of art to enjoy. Nowadays the still lives of Rob Møhlmann are well-known for their "piercing intensity" (Kraaijpoel). Other countries are beginning to take notice. Recently Rob's work was to be seen at a big exhibition of European, contemporary still lifes in Bad Frankenhausen, Germany.

The anniversary exhibition "Quest for Reality" consists of almost 350 works. Many of these are, for this particular occasion, on loan from private-owners and institutes. New work will also be exhibited, and at he same time a richly illustrated book will be published, also called Quest for Reality, with an enlightening preface written by Diederik Kraaijpoel and Gezien van de Riet.

Kleinhandel, Rob Møhlmann, 2002, o/p, 30x22cm. | zoom |