Johannes Harm Hovinga
Weerdinge 1976 The Netherlands
A small and personal isight in my choice to a life in art,
and the ups and downs after that choice.
Veenweg 28 Weerdinge The Netherlands, Monday September 20-1976
5 years after the realisation and just two kilometers north northwest from one of the most important
land-art works world wide
(Broken circle spiral hill - Robert Smithson 1971),
On a quiet and sunny September day a child was born, no wise men or kings,
just his mom, dad and sister around..
Johannes Harm Hovinga, Weerdinge September 20-1976
No one could imagine that that the work of Robert Smithson would change his life 35 years later.
lets press fast forward..
All my life it was there, a little black spot slowly growing in years, managing my life around it.
In 2011 life was like living in continuous darkness where death looked like a sunny place in paradise.
In 2011, after 10 years of running a business in garden and landscaping I made a choice, giving up everything I ever known.
The moment I chose for a life in art, Inspired by my childhood (where I was fascinated by the work of Robert Smithson - Broken circle spiral hill) I chose to manage my depression and not my life around it.
A choice for the person I am, the impact I want to leave on others in our fragmented society.
I chose for a life in art, what was I thinking?
2020, after years of experimenting, traveling, making mistakes, being homeless for a while, hurting people, making bigger mistakes climbing up and faling down, learning about life, learning what love means, and the most important learning to accept my self in being me.
It’s me Johannes Harm Hovinga, I don’t need a mask, no pseudoniem, just me with my not so fancy name at all in the art world..
In my profession as an artist I think in art we have a responsibility,
we have the responsibility to make visible what is invisible,
we have the responsibility to record what should not be forgotten
we have the responsibility to speak up for those who cannot
we have the responsibility to create awareness
In my work I find my inspiration and passion in everyday life, my curiosity about and for life. The way in which I live and the choices I make and i've made, lead to admiration from some and envy or even dislike from others. This dialectic works as an inspiration for me to seek further challenges, to confront people in their natural habitat, their daily life.
Always searching in the dark corners of our society and questioning the society in which we live. Provoking and disturbing in the search for new answers, inspiring and connecting people in our fragmented society using humor, sex, death, religion, violence, fear, love, ………