Unmistakably a child of the fifties. Araun Gordijn lived in the heart of Amsterdam. Before his door numerous cars were parked, among them impressive American models. Regularly his aunts and uncles visited from far-away America. They reported colourful accounts of the luxury and bustling activity that had still to enter the mainstream of Dutch life. Reluctantly television made its appearance and projected for the first time scenes to accompany all the fascinating stories.
From an early age drawing was an important activity. Already at the age of ten he would draw while sitting on a folding-chair in the busy streets of the centre of Amsterdam. Travelling set in early. With his scooter he scooted over the river IJ-Amsterdam North, a respectable distance for a lad of six years. During his studies at the Academy of Art, at the end of the sixties, his travels extended to the Middle East.The US was then still too expensive, inaccessible by hitchhiking. Then an actual travel grant for the US granted by the then Ministry of Culture in 1976 brought on a change.
From that time on he traveled intensively throughout the US searching for art but also for car parts for his collection of old American cars, among others a 1951 Cadillac and a 1947 Chrysler Business coupe. During his hiking tours he photographed numerous "roadside" scenes along "Blue Highways". During the mid eighties he drew on these experiences as a source of inspiration for a series of paintings depicting his travels through America.
He continues to work on it still. Sometimes the accent is on cars and then shifts to architecture or landscape. It is interesting to see how he plays with dates of the scenes. The year of the car is an obvious indicator. Meanwhile, the work of Araun Gordijn is well known in the US and the Netherlands with collectors of art, particularly lovers of America. His new work can be regularly seen at exhibitions or at his atelier. From time to time he works on commission for enterprises as well as individuals.
(See exhibitions.)