"Some tourists think Amsterdam is a city of sin, but in truth it is a city of freedom. And in freedom, most people find sin."
-- John Green, The Fault In Our Stars
-- John Green, The Fault In Our Stars
Between the canals and streets of Amsterdam, the old crosses the new, and both entangle to form a city of freedom, where art finds its way into every brick and every corner. I have been, time and time again, fascinated by how absolutely vintage and bold the art of Amsterdam can be. Here is a part of my journey through the city of art, captured in snapshots that serve to inspire.
I amsterdam - Solid block letters of red and white in modern san-serif font; an overlapping of words so boldly displayed in front of Rijksmuseum, the building that holds much of Amsterdam's history. It's an iconic sight and a tourist attraction, but I tend to wonder what 'I amsterdam' really means.
Shops - Amstedam's cafés and food places are unique; each holds a personal style and touch that resonates to its customers in many different ways. This is the wall of a quaint little bakery whose name remains unknown; it reminds me of piano manuscripts and my orchestra. I remember the warm and beautiful smells wafting out of the shop, filling me whole once I stepped into this cosy little enclosure. Out of the buns, scones and muffins, I picked a savoury treat- a quiche to fill my appetite in the slightly cold weather.
Street Art - One of many wall paintings around the city, this piece of graffiti art conveys a strong message in relation to food brands. The bold and vivid colours of this illustration on the building spark high contrast to the dull red antiquity of the classic brick walls around the rest of the city, symbolizing the rebellious attitude of art in Amsterdam. Apart from graffiti on walls along train rides as seen during long distance journeys, more street art in the form of murals can be found at De Wallen area, but photographs there are quite forbidden.
Sculptures- These figures stand on vertical rectangular blocks for a purpose; perhaps they are indeed famous people I do not know of. But here and there, you'll see one or two memorials like this. This one, particularly, captured my interest not because it was in the middle of an empty square at Spui, but because of the rainbow chalk shades on the side of the rectangular block. Proves how colours catch the eye, and how greys are always dull for a reason. But have you ever thought that the cemented ground has different shades of grey too?
Art Galleries - Within the small space of the Louvre Art Gallery, small little concentration of art pieces are displayed for admiration without cost, among them featuring Kirsty Mitchells photographic masterpieces themed 'Wonderland'. As the curator explained to me, each and every piece of the costumes used were handmade; in the case of the butterfly outfit on the right, Mitchell cut out butterfly illustrations from printed resources and arranged them in such form for her photography purposes. More art galleries spotted around the city, one of them (The Art Shop) situated right on the same street where our hostel was.
Prints - Perhaps it is human nature to remember and reminiscent, sometimes even recreating the past as an illusion of having good old moments happen again. When in reality, what's gone is gone. But maybe you could keep a part of them in postcards, like these vintage little prints of Vogue, monochrome photographs, and thin stenciled wood that prompt us to buy as a form of collection. 'Vintage', we call it. I sent myself a postcard before heading home, for the very same reason of making something vintage out of the present moment.