Letter from Hans Werner Geerdts to J.P. Hodin

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[Transcription/translation]

kiel, 11.5.1978

dear joseph,

my depression is perfect… in the land of my fathers.

not that the exhibition wasn’t a success… actually sold seven works!

just that there hasn’t been any real resonance (of the non-monetary kind). yet.

herr hoffmann of the bonner rundschau writes that ‘the personal observations of herr geerdts make you wish you were there on the square in marrakech.’ to which i say: thin and superfluous, every word.

still, thin words are better than none! the people and the papers that matter have said nothing (who ‘matters’? and who is reckoning with whom?).

they have taken no notice of the exhibition.

and i shall have to accept that.

the exhibition is due to be shown in other cities: duisburg, bochum, hamburg… and now, i hear, also in gevelsberg, buer… villages and suburbs too small to show up on the map.

would you not put that under ‘also ran’?

what were my expectations BEFORE the exhibition?

i wanted nothing more than to find two or three people who liked my work and could be counted on when ‘holland runs into trouble’! is that too much to ask? –

little by little i’m coming to the realisation that my images just don’t have enough punch to hit these jaded people right between the eyes!

people felt sullied when the expressionists started throwing their weight around all those years ago.

but how to proceed? what next?

i shall carry on with my work, as i have always carried on with my work, wherever it may take me.

but i could do with some support. i need encouragement. so i’d be very glad if i could publish your text in my second catalogue. this is the catalogue i spoke of, the one i’m currently working on. as far as i can see, there are now twenty-three colour reproductions on sixteen pages, then some black-and-white reproductions and the text, your text.

i’ve ordered a copy of your brühl’sche terrasse [brühl terrace]. frau sigrid hunke gave me a copy of her book at the vernissage: ‘kamele auf dem kaisermantel (deutsch-arabische begegnungen seit karl dem grossen)’ [camels on the imperial robe (german-arabian encounters from the time of charlemagne)]. she also drew my attention to ‘europas andere religion’ [the other european religion] (sigrid hunke, econ, 1969). in exile though i am here in kiel, i now have a great deal to read – – which will keep me busy when i’m not painting.

many kind regards to you and, if you please, to your wife and child too.

yours,

hans geerdts

until 22 may:
hans werner geerdts
reeperbahn 5
D 23 K I E L - 14

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