Rits VAN KOOTEN
1941–2005, Netherlands
Rits Van Kooten, educated in both art and architecture.
1955, Evening school for arts and crafts
1956, Art Academy Den Bosch (Netherlands); Painting
1957, Art Academy Arnhem (Netherlands); Painting
1959, Art Academy Antwerp (Belgium); Architecture
The seventies era were his best years as a painter.
His main area of interest was portrait painting and depictions of architectural scenes.
Around 1975 his architectural paintings were exhibited in the well respected Martha Jackson Gallery, New York City.
His paintings of the since vanished World Trade Center's Twin Towers received unanimously positive critiques.
In total, Rits van Kooten produced some 42 Twin Towers paintings, amongst which several depicted the towers still under construction.
In 1990 Van Kooten collapsed mentally and from then on remained unable to create new art work. Soon, four treatments in mental hospitals followed. He suffered illness(es) that can be described as agorafobia, psychosis, paranoia and/or schizofrenia.
In 2003 he mentally revived for a short period of time and was able to produce new art works.
February 26th, 2005 he died in the mental institution in which he had stayed since July 14th the year prior.