Herman de Vries

(Dutch, born 1931)

Herman de Vries is a contemporary Dutch artist known for both his drawings and installations. Engaged in issues of ecology De Vries catalogs objects from nature, such as soil, juniper berries, and leaves, in order to bring the presence of the natural world to the viewer. “Sample soil from all over the world are turned into areas of color, to show how many different colors the soil over which normally one walks without thinking, can have: mustard yellow, red, white or green,” he has explained. “I wish to transmit an increased awareness what nature presents and what is our primary reality.” Born on July 11, 1931 in Alkmaar, Netherlands, he began painting in the 1950s. A decade later, De Vries became involved with the Zero group of artists Yves Klein and Piero Manzoni. The group’s belief in reaching objectivity with their work continues to permeate De Vries’s installations today. His interest in limiting human conceit has led the artist to write his name and artwork titles in lowercase letters. He was included in the 2015 Venice Biennale, and his works are held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam in the Netherlands, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, among others. De Vries currently lives and works in Eschenau, Germany.