The story behind Double Dutch

The creation of a work of art can come about in two ways. Sometimes the artist receives a request from a client to create a work of art; at other times, an experience of the artist himself determines the creation of a work of art. The accompanying 'life experience' has touched the innermost feelings of an artist so intensely that a work of art has come into being.

From 1999, Berend Strik lived for several years in a residential neighborhood of Brooklyn near the Williamsbridge in New York. Here, he lived primarily among people from the Dominican Republic and Orthodox Jews, Poles, African Americans, and Italians. In a local store, the washing powder in a tin can labeled 'Old Dutch Cleaner' with the subtitle 'Chases Dirt' was for sale. On the yellow background of the can label, a bent-over lady in traditional Dutch costume wearing red clogs, with a stick in her hand, trots along the edge of the red text strip. Through her posture and gesture, she radiates in a particularly active and committed manner that dust and dirt must disappear from her surroundings. Cleanliness all around is the goal.

Berend Strik, living there in isolation as a Dutchman amidst entirely different cultures and nationalities, came into contact with his own Dutch identity through the illustration of the detergent. The artist's need to express this resulted in a number of artworks, including 'Double Dutch' and 'Going Dutch'. The latter work, embroidered on linen, depicts a somewhat different setting. The ladies in traditional dress are running through an African landscape. With the background information above, I aim to let the reader experience which (life) circumstances, inspiring coincidences, and personal stirrings of the designer *can* serve as the impetus for creating a work of art. This is by no means a case of plagiarism. The washing powder illustration was merely the 'starting point' for the artist. He has 'played' with the image in a completely individual, independent, and playfully creative-artistic manner, giving it an elevated and superior form. This description places the stamp in the here and now, in the current world around us. With this, the stamp a contemporary 'tool'. Due to the background information above, it *can* become a thought-provoking and eye-opening object for many. Hopefully, after reading the foregoing, you will also discover that a subjective fragment of the designer's 'soul extract' is present in every stamp image. Insightful knowledge of this makes it possible to connect with a stamp image through 'intuitive feeling'! A stamp is certainly not a distant, lifeless, and extraterrestrial object that exists without any connection to us or our lives. Unfortunately, a stamp (with its extensive substantive expressive power) is still constantly presented and treated in a businesslike and detached manner in the philatelic press! The title ‘Double Dutch’ It was obvious to Strik. There is a similar proverb in English-speaking countries. “He speaks double dutch” means someone spouts nonsense, speaks incomprehensible drunken language. The literal meaning dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries when Dutch sailors frequently left English pubs completely drunk. 'Dutch' in English compound words often has a negative connotation: “Dutch courage” = not brave at all; “Going Dutch” = everyone pays for themselves; it has to do with stinginess and frugality. The negative connotation relates to the English Wars in the past between our country and the English. And let's not forget: “A Dutch treat” = no surprise at all, or something with which you are not spoiled. This is an edited version of a previously published article on Postzegelblog.