Abstract tableaux (abstract tableaux – 60 pieces)

About this artwork.

For the Wijert, ceramic artist Anno Smith decorated the end faces of ten residential blocks with a series of loose tiles featuring abstract representations: thick black lines with blue, white, and green glazed areas in between. In 2013, four of the ten blocks of gallery apartments were demolished and replaced by single-family homes designed by Bureau Ritsema. Residents, in collaboration with housing corporation De Huismeesters, worked to preserve part of the tiles.

Ceramic artist Anno Smith created hundreds of portico decorations and facade panels for the city of Groningen in the post-war period, intended for, among other things, residential complexes, schools, shops, and factories. It is no coincidence that ceramic experts refer to Anno Smith as 'the greatest decorator'.Smith primarily depicted everyday objects and scenes: fish, flowers, playing children, and working craftsmen. Because of the uniformity of the post-war architectural style, this way, each portico and each building still received its own identity.

Recognizability is therefore not coincidentally an important characteristic of Smith's work. His clients wanted cheerful representations that needed to be understandable to the residents. In 2023, the gallery flats on Spieghelstraat were also demolished. The ceramic tiles by Anno Smith have been incorporated into the new construction.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Anno Smith

• District
  De Wijert

• Year of creation
  1961

• Art type
  Art in / on a building, Tableau

• Material
  Glazed terracotta

• Dimensions
  h 0,22 x b 0,20 m