Carel Blotkamp

Carel Hendrik Blotkamp (born 1945) is a Dutch artist, art historian, writer and critic. He was a professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam between 1982 and 2007. Apart from his academic career Blotkamp is known for his work in art critique, writing for several newspapers and magazines. He also co-founded several art magazines. Blotkamp is considered an authority on De Stijl and magic realism, and wrote several books on modern artists.

Career Blotkamp was born in Zeist in 1945. At an early age he started going to museums on his own. While in high school he started attended painting classes at the . At the end of his high school period he was doubting on what to study, and was eventually persuaded by Utrecht University lecturer of art history, Pieter Singelenberg, to study art history at Utrecht University. In the 1960s he was one of the few in the Netherlands to study modern art. During his final years of study he became a part-time lecturer at the Rotterdam Academy of Visual Arts. In 1968, he obtained his degree. The next year he started as scientific employee at the university.

Blotkamp became a part-time professor of modern art history at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in 1982. He took up emeritus status in May 2007. Due to his part-time position Blotkamp was able to continue his work in art and writing. He worked as art-critique writer for Vrij Nederland between 1967 and 1975, producing articles almost every two weeks. Blotkamp also wrote critiques for the newspapers NRC Handelsblad and de Volkskrant. In 1975 he won the Pierre Bayleprijs for his efforts. In his more recent work Blotkamp regularly uses sequins.

Personal life Blotkamp married Hoos Blotkamp-de Roos in 1967. Amongst other positions she served as director of the Dutch Film Museum. She died in 2014.