Arie Van Selm (Utrecht, Netherlands, 1951)                                                                                            

Statue of Liberty  gouache on paper, 1986   31” x 36”           

Arie Van Selm paints the Statue of Liberty in bold bright vivid colors influenced by his travels to Mexico. Yellow, green and orange birds with long beaks explode from the crown of the Statue of Liberty with a humoristic approach. Van Selm states, “My fascination with the bird in general is manifold: they are colorful, seem free as they can fly, have interesting forms and features. Having worked with the bird image and rooster image for quite a while now, I have experimented with form, color and expression.” JDM also has three large brightly colored paintings of Roosters entitled: Pink Veiled Rooster, Turbulent Rooster and  Shuttle Rooster all  oil on canvas, 1984  and approximately 70" x 90.  He was born in the Netherlands in 1951 and has developed strong roots in Dallas, living and working both continents for over forty years. He was educated in Amsterdam and continued his studies in Europe. Journeys to the south of France, Mexico and Kyoto, Japan particularly impacted his style and he continues to work and exhibit in Dallas, New York, Amsterdam and Berlin. His work has been widely exhibited in America, Europe and South America and is included in private, corporate collectors and Museums.

The Statue of Liberty

“She is the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of freedom, inspiration, and hope.

It was 1865 when Frenchman Édouard de Laboulaye proposed the idea of presenting a monumental gift from the people of France to the people of the United States. An ardent supporter of America, Laboulaye wished to commemorate the centennial of the Declaration of Independence as well as celebrate the close relationship between France and America. He was equally moved by the recent abolition of slavery in the U.S., which furthered America’s ideals of liberty and freedom. Sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi designed the statue that would soon be known as Liberty Enlightening the World. Bartholdi’s design encompassed much symbolism: her crown representing light with its spikes evoking sun rays extending out to the world; the tablet, inscribed with July 4, 1776 in Roman numerals, noting American independence; to symbolize the end of slavery, Bartholdi placed a broken shackle and chains at the Statue’s foot.”