Wiersma (Ruurd), Frisian outsider artist

Ruurd Wiersma (1904-1980), a milk transporter[i] , who lived in the small community of Birdaard (Frisia, Netherlands), later in life began painting.

His house, nowadays a museum, has been featured in the spring of 2011 on local television in the weekly series "Leeuwarder Dagboek" (Diary of Leeuwarden. Leeuwarden is the capital of Frisia)..

Although the documentary does not focus so much upon the murals, it gives a good impression of Ruurd Wiersma and his work and environment. So, in agreement with its maker, Dirk de Bood, I’m happy to present here a (slightly edited) transcript in english of the presentation.

(titles)

Ruurd Wiersma

milk transporter/artist

was born in Rinsumageest

in 1904 and died in 1980

The house where he lived in Birdaard

nowadays is a museum

A.de Roo, guide

(1.25)

AdR He began painting in the fifties, in a house that initially he had rented. The landlord was not so happy with his activities, because Wiersma wanted to paint on the walls. That was not allowed in a house on rent, but Wiersma could not refrain from this.

(2.00)

He started with this room, in 1965. He had bought the house in 1964 or early 1965. Apart from this room, the house has another part, where nowadays the paintings are exposed. That part was leased, so this provided him with some fixed income.

What happened?

(2.34)

This room had an oil stove which exploded. He tried to clean the walls, but that didn’t work, of course. So he went to the local painter to ask for advice, to be told the best solution would be just to apply new wallpaper on the walls and eventually paint it.

No sooner said than done.

(3.00)

His idea was to paint the lower side green and the upper side blue, because he wanted to copy the Panorama Mesdag [ii], but it became quite another work: the Four Seasons.

He began with the winter and the creation has a lot of autobiographic details.

(3.30)

But let me first say that people from Birdaard who knew him, had given him the nickname of Angry Ruurd. He was touchy and he could be irritable, but not for very long.

As for his work, I’m told, people thought it was trash and mess. He was a bungler.

He was inclined to give away his paintings as a present. He did not paint them on canvas, but on hardboard, he got or bought from the local carpenter.

(4.10)

Anyhow, he always used cheap material.

Reporter: What kind of paint would he use?

AdR: He himself said he used enamel for bikes, but he also used the paint he had applied to the doors. He described the colours on the doors as rock’n roll (shows some tins) These tins he got from the local house painter. It was no problem to be presented with some paint from a tube, but separating paint from a large tin was less fun for the house painter.

(5.40)

(shows a pair of painted shoes)

Reporter: Did he walk around in the village on these shoes?

AdR: Yes, and he would sell them too [iii]. He bought new shoes, painted them and then he sold them, marked with his initials.

Reporter: So he really was aware being an artist.

AdR: Yes.

(6.40)

(AdR shows above painting with skaters doing the Elfstedentocht [iv])

All skaters meanwhile are on their way back to the finish. They will pass Birdaard twice. Firstly heading for Dokkum, and then returning, on their way to Leeuwarden.

All people who live along the canal have been portrayed, except one lady Ruurd could not deal with, so she was not allowed to appear on the painting.

(7.25)

(AdR shows a triptych painting)

This one he made for Queen Beatrix when in 1980 she was crowned. Around that time he had painted his house in the colours of the Netherlands, the dutch flag and the House of Orange – orange, red, white and blue.

He has bothered to paint the backside too, so it’s clear this is board.

(8.04)

He did not sign all of his work. The tax administration might have thought he sold all his paintings, but some of them were presents.

(8.27)

(AdR shows a painting with a section of a tree)

Previously Ruurd Wiersma had three elm trees around the house, that were affected by the elm disease. The trees had to be felled and he wanted to have a clear picture. This painting shows the growth rings of the elm, as well as the beetle that causes the elm disease.

(9.37)

(About naïve art)

A naïve artist is someone who has no formal education. He will use primary colors and will not mix these. In our view ratios are not respected. A multitude of characters is shown on the canvas. But in particular, there is no depth in the whole of the picture.

Reporter: Childish, maybe?

AdR: Yes, one compares it sometimes with childish work.

In conclusion, A. de Roo indicates days and hours the museum can be visited [v]

Notes

[i] Wiersma transported milk from the farms to the factory by a small boat that could sail frisian waters, firstly a hand-propelled one and later on a boat with an engine.

[ii] Panorama Mesdag is a cylindric painting made in 1881 by Hendrik Mesdag, 14x120 m (46x394 ft), representing a view of the dunes and the north sea near The Hague, Netherlands. It’s a museum nowadays See: http://www.panorama-mesdag.com/

[iii] Actually Wiersma had started kind of a business in selling decorated shoes to tourists and other interested people.

[iv] Elfstedentocht is an almost 200 km (124 miles) long skating marathon on natural ice along the eleven cities in Frisia, one time a winter if the waterways are frozen enough; skaters pass Birdaard towards the turning point in Dokkum, to skate through Birdaard once more heading for the finish in Leeuwarden

[v] Take a look at my weblog for actual opening times.