Pressletter

the war in jpg A painting of 33 x 20 feet about Peace and Love

On November 3rd, 2013, the renowned Dutch artist Erik Van Loon will unveil ‘I Will Win – The War” along the course of the NYC Marathon to approximately 40,000 runners and 260 million TV viewers in 125 countries.

Date and location:
128 willis av new york Bronx side of the Willis Av.Bridge
November 3rd 2013, New York

Contact:
Erik Van Loon (865 2 E V LOON = 865 2 3 8 5666)
info@erikvanloon.com

THE WAR
The War is Erik’s ninth I Will Win painting of 33 x 20 ft (11 x 7 yards) for the New York City Marathon. The War is a painting about Love and Peace and is inspired by the love and peace movement which started in 1967 in Washington DC and many other cities throughout the US. For The War he copropriate and honours the photo “La Jeune Fille a la Fleur” from Marc Riboud. This photo shows the young pacifist Jane Rose Kasmir planting a flower on the bayonets of guards at the Pentagon during a protest against the Vietnam War on October 21, 1967. The photo would eventually become the symbol of a peace, love and flower power movement and that movement made the world incontrovertible a better place.

GOOGLE EARTH
During his stay in San Francisco for the worldpremiere of his 9 hours video installaton A Victim’s Perspective in 2005, Erik Van Loon came up with the idea to make a painting of a 33 x 20 ft (size of his Dutch studio) which you could see from satellite. From Google / NASA he learned that a painting of this size would result in a “stamp-sized photo” and that it would cost him at least $5,000! A lot of money for a really small photo. That’s why he decided to paint and show his first I Will Win painting along the course of the New York City Marathon, one of the biggest one day sports and media events in the world.

6 TO 7 SECONDS OF FAME
In 2005 the I Will Win series was born with each year another artwork and theme. He will finish the I Will Win series when his latest paintings is broadcasted worldwide for 6 to 7 seconds into the homes of 260 million people in 120 countries all over the world. Untill so far he made the following great artworks:

i will win 1 I Will Win (2005) : Erik Van Loon portrayed himself traditionally using the colors and elements of the American and Dutch flag. On his chest he painted his official runners number.
i will win the news I Will Win – The News (2006) : Erik Van Loon portrayed himself at the front page of the New York Times. In this autobiographical self-portrait he painted himself in past, present and future. With this I Will Win painting he demonstrated the use of letters and words in imagery to challenge and stimulate the viewer’s experience of art like Johns, Nauman and Rauschenberg did.
i will win - the statue I Will Win – The Statue (2007) : Erik Van Loon portrayed himself as the Statue of Liberty by painting himself as the Greek soldier Pheidippides, who was sent from Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over the Persians at the Battle of Marathon.
I will win - the runner I Will Win – The Runner (2008): Erik Van Loon portrayed himself running naked in Central Park. This selfportrait is inspired by Edvard Muybridge one of the founders of the Motion Picture Film, and the exhibition The Bodies (New York, Tokyo, Moskou, Amsterdam, Paris, Londen).
i will win - the history I Will Win – The History (2009): Erik Van Loon made a collage of the 400 year friendship between the Netherlands and New York. . With The History he ended his selfportrait series. During the New York City Marathon he gave 400 red tulips away to the runners to celebrate our 400 years of friendship.
i will win the creations I Will Win – The Creation (2010): Inspired by the problems caused by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill Erik Van Loon made a painting about water and air pollution. In The Creation he painted 8 American presidents (both republicans and democrats) supporting God (with gasmasks because of air pollution). In The Creation God creates the women and she extinguished the Gulf of Mexico oil spill fire. The water from the tap causes a Tsunami. With that Erik Van Loon predicted by coincidence also the Tsunami in Japan of 2011 and the Nuclear problems caused by it.
i will win - the crisis I Will Win – The Crisis (2011): Inspired by the occupy movement and the paintings American Gothic (1930) from Grant Wood (USA) and Pillars of Society (1926) from George Grosz (Germany) both about the Great Depression, Erik Van Loon painted The Crisis. The Crisis is about a.o. greed, Wall Street, War, politicians, bankers and the media.
i will win - the elections I Will Win – The Elections (2012): Inspired by the US Elections and the loss of his Mother he painted The Elections. Due to Sandy he couldn’t unveil The Elections along the course of the New York City Marathon. That’s why he unveiled his painting in front of the White House at election day.

About the Artist
In the Netherlands Erik Van Loon is also known for his work as advocate for clean water. He organise for example each year a river clean up, the Mermaidparade and the Rotterdam Swim, Amsterdam Swim and the Royal Amstel Swim to raise awareness for clean water.

— EXTRA —

Erik Van Loon is looking for Washingtonians, Virginians, and Marylanders who a) love D.C, and b) own – or know people who own – a red or black car, in order to realize his newest D.C. based art project “I Love D.C.

Video

I LOVE DC
The concept is simple: Erik Van Loon needs 175 red cars, 75 black cars, and approximately fours hours of volunteers’ time on a designated parking lot to shoot an aerial image of the cars reading “I [HEART] D.C.” With “I Love D.C” Erik van Loon wants to join people together who love D.C, love art, love a free sandwich, and want to volunteer in an international art project.
(Note: At the moment he has 70 cars.)

Champagneparty
On friday, november 1st Erik Van Loon organise a Champagneparty in his studio in Rockville, MD (12280 Wilkins Av) for friends, family and art lovers to give them the opportunity:
– to see his latest I Will Win painting for the New York City Marathon,
– to wish him good luck
– to say goodbye before leaving to New York City.

3 in 1
This year he combines the Champagne party with the first friday of the month opening venue of his neighbours the Washington School Of Photography and the Capitol Arts Network at 12276 Wilkins Av.

Capitol Arts Network
Capitol Arts Network announces its November exhibition titled “small wonders,” opening Friday, Nov. 1st, at its gallery in Rockville. The show will highlight works measuring 12 x 12 inches or smaller from juried metro-area artists, and a collection of 21 assemblages by invited artist Page Turner from Roanoke, Virginia.

Capitol Arts Network’s facility contains studio space for more than 36 artists plus a large classroom, gallery and exhibition space where artists can work individually or side-by-side in a collaborative community setting. CAN is opening 16 additional studios in December of this year.

For more information or inquiries on the project please :
– visit the website www.erikvanloon.com/i-will-win-the-war or
– e-mail info@erikvanloon.com or
– call Erik Van Loon on 865 2 E V LOON (865 238 5666).