Armando (artist) facts for kids
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Armando (born Herman Dirk van Dodeweerd) was a famous Dutch artist. He was a painter, sculptor, and writer. He lived from 1929 to 2018. His art often explored themes of good and evil, especially influenced by his childhood experiences during World War II.
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Armando's Early Life and Art
Armando was born in Amsterdam. As a child, he moved to Amersfoort, a city in the Netherlands. During World War II, when the Germans occupied the Netherlands, Armando saw terrible things. Near his home, the Nazis set up a camp for prisoners. The suffering of these victims and the harshness of the guards deeply affected him for the rest of his life. After the war ended in 1945, he studied art history at the University of Amsterdam.
His first art show was in Amsterdam in 1954. Around this time, he also started writing poetry. He was inspired by the CoBrA art group. He even made abstract drawings with his left hand in the dark! He was also influenced by artists like Jean Dubuffet. He created paintings with very thick paint, called impasto.
In 1958, Armando helped start a Dutch art group called Informelen. Other painters in this group included Kees van Bohemen and Henk Peeters.
Armando's Involvement with Art Groups
By 1959, Armando joined the Situationist International (SI), another art and political group. He attended their third meeting in Munich. He even helped write an important statement for the Dutch part of the SI. However, he left the SI in 1960. He still wrote for other Situationist magazines, like the Situationist Times. He also wrote for other Dutch magazines such as Podium and Barbarber.
Armando lived in different places during his life. He spent time in Amsterdam and Amersfoort. Until 1989, he also lived in Berlin, Germany.
Fire at the Armando Museum in 2007
Amersfoort, the city where Armando grew up, once had a museum dedicated to his artwork. On October 22, 2007, a big fire broke out at the museum. Thirteen of Armando's paintings were sadly destroyed.
At the time of the fire, the museum was also showing works by other famous painters. These included Ruisdael and Dürer. All these artworks were lost in the fire. The total damage was estimated to be about three million euros. Later, it was confirmed that 63 paintings were lost. Only 8 were saved, but most of those were badly damaged.
The New Armando Museum
Since 2014, Armando's art collection has a new home. It is now at the Museum Oud Amelisweert (MOA). This museum is located near Bunnik in the Netherlands. The MOA often holds exhibitions. These shows feature Armando's works, sometimes alongside art by other artists.
Awards and Special Recognition
Armando received many important awards and honours for his contributions to art and culture.
Honours
- 1990 - Knight of the Order of Oranje-Nassau
- 2006 - Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
- 2009 - The Honorary medal for Arts and Science of the Order of the House of Orange
Awards
- 1987 - The Gouden Ganzenveer for his important role in Dutch culture and spreading it across Europe.
