Roland Cornelis Greefkes (May 27, 1941 – August 17, 2021) was a Dutch-American master
iron smith.
Biography
Born in
The Hague
The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...
,
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, he was the son of Marie Johanna Veltman Greefkes and Cornelis Greefkes, the foremost art smith in the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
He earned a degree in
chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of the operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials ...
from the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
in 1968, and later spent several years traveling in the Middle East and India before returning to the Netherlands to work with his father.
[ Upon emigrating to the United States in 1977, he worked for several years in ]Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, then established Aesthetica, his smithy in Gilbertsville, New York
Gilbertsville is a village in Otsego County, New York, United States. The population was 399 at the 2010 census.
The village is in the town of Butternuts and is west of Oneonta.
Geography
Gilbertsville is located at (42.469492, −75.320980). ...
, bearing the same name as his late father's smithy in The Hague.[
Greefkes was married to Charlotte Walker, an author and English professor, until her death on January 1, 2021.]Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in and the county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in ...
on August 17, 2021, of complications from a fall.[
]
Works
His wrought iron
Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.05%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4.5%), or 0.25 for low carbon "mild" steel. Wrought iron is manufactured by heating and melting high carbon cast iron in an ...
work is characterized by strong representations of nature, freely interpreted in his own style, yet rooted in his father's Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
influence. To quote an article by Lee Fleming in ''Garden Design'' Magazine,
"Although schooled in the design traditions of the past, Greefkes finds inspiration in the evanescent drama of the natural world that surrounds his forge. ... His designs are dynamic; the natural world they mirror is active, evolving, and often filled with humorous visual anecdotes." (September/October, 1993)
Some of his major works included a driveway gate for Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono (, usually spelled in katakana as ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking.
Ono grew up in Tokyo and moved to New York ...
, a firescreen for Bette Midler
Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...
, firescreens for Blythe Danner
Blythe Katherine Danner (born February 3, 1943) is an American actress. Accolades she has received include two Primetime Emmy Awards for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Best Supporting Actress in a Dra ...
and Bruce Paltrow
Bruce Weigert Paltrow (November 26, 1943 – October 3, 2002) was an American television and film director and producer. He was the husband of actress Blythe Danner, and the father of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and screenwriter/director Jake Paltro ...
, and a table for Eagles
Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...
guitarist Don Felder
Donald William Felder (born September 21, 1947) is an American musician who was the lead guitarist of the rock band Eagles from 1974 to 2001. He is known for co-writing several of the band's songs, most notably "Hotel California". Felder was in ...
.[ His "Paradise Gate", an intricate garden gate commissioned by Australian fantasy writer ]Sara Douglass
Sara Warneke (2 July 1957 – 27 September 2011), better known by her pen name Sara Douglass, was an Australian fantasy writer who lived in Hobart, Tasmania. She was a recipient of the Aurealis Award for best fantasy novel.
Biography
A great ...
, is installed in her garden in Tasmania
Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
.[ His liturgical wrought iron pieces are in several churches up and down the East Coast of the United States.][
]
References
*Meilach, Dona Z.; ''The Contemporary Blacksmith'' (Schiffer, 2000);
*Meilach, Dona Z.; ''Fireplace Accessories'' (Schiffer, 2002);
*''Garden Design'', September/October 1993;
*''Garden Design'', 2003;
*''House and Garden'', November 1990;
*''Kaatskill Life'', Summer 2006 &
*''New York Times'', July 17, 1989.
Further reading
* Wrought iron
Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.05%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4.5%), or 0.25 for low carbon "mild" steel. Wrought iron is manufactured by heating and melting high carbon cast iron in an ...
* Ornamental metal
Ironwork is any weapon, artwork, utensil, or architectural feature made of iron, especially one used for decoration. There are two main types of ironwork: wrought iron and cast iron. While the use of iron dates as far back as 4000 BC, it was th ...
References
External links
Yoko One
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greefkes, Roland
1941 births
2021 deaths
20th-century American artists
20th-century Dutch artists
21st-century American artists
21st-century Dutch artists
Accidental deaths from falls
Accidental deaths in New York (state)
American blacksmiths
Artists from The Hague
Dutch emigrants to the United States
Dutch expatriates in Canada
Dutch expatriates in India
People from Gilbertsville, New York
University of Toronto alumni