HUGO KAAGMAN  STENCIL KING
2006 Artist in residence,  2 months with ceramics, Vallauris, France
˝Chronique d´une décoration révolutionée˝ As a graffiti pioneer I started in Amsterdam in the late 70´s, the punk years, with stencil spraying on walls. My manifesto was: art for everybody everywhere, down with elitary art. With the years I studied different cultures and made a encyclopedy of icons carefully cut to stencils in various sizes. Next to photorealism I fell for decorative patterns, specially geometric forms from the Islamic world. My technique changed from spraycans to airbrush, my stencils became more delicate, my paintings were compositions as collages.     In 1990 I realised that I was mostly looking abroad for inspiration and started to look at the traditions of my own country, the Netherlands. I took the Delft Blue ceramics from the 17th century  as a new starting point. Blue and white. With this concept I a made an extensive oeuvre all around the world, ranging from paintings, murals, fashion to boats, cars and even airplanes. Of course I had to try this on ceramics. In 1996 and the year 2000 I worked in the European Ceramic Work Centre in the Netherlands and produced post- modern Delftblue works, pottery and tiles.      After that I looked again abroad for new inspiration and as a regularly visitor of France I made stencils of typical French icons, specially inspired by the rebellious Serge Gainsbourg. From this it wasn´t an enormous step to come and work in A.I.R.Vallauris and take up ceramic work again.     So during this stay in february-march 2006 I had the chance to work with the company Perfume de  Terre and developed work  that is hopefully inderstood by a new audience. I like developement and change, I want things to become better. From Low Art to High Art from Kitsch to Post-Modernism, from Punk to Pottery, Vive la Revolution! Vive le Decoration!
This man, Monsieur Jean Derval, assisted Pablo Picasso during his 7 years stay in Vallauris from 1948 to 1955.
The gallery of A.I.R.Vallauris with original mural painting by the famous French artist BEN.
Monsieur Jean Derval, Monsieur Renaud Lembo et Monsieur Kaagman, 4 march 2006.