Surinam Swimming pools Techniques Acrylic on board in green frames Size: usually 60 x 65 cm2 This series was made in ’80 and ‘81 in the 20th century, out of a longing for the sun and nature of the tropics. At one time, Miriam Harten wanted to move to Surinam to settle down permanently in this paradise of nature where everybody speaks Dutch, her native language. In order to raise some money for this project, she made this series in which the greens of summer are set between the cool and unrealistic setting of the swimming pools. The paintings are still in her possession. The stay in Surinam only lasted a single month, November 1981, her one investigation. This whole project came to an end due to the political situation in December of 1982. All VIPs of Surinam were killed, a violation for which many people keep the Bouterse regime of the 80’s responsible Exhibitions The Series: Surinam Swimming Pools was exhibited a number of times. 1981 : in ‘The Bijenkorf” a luxury shop in Arnhem, in the ‘Minitheater’ 1982: in ‘Vredenburg,’ the musical centre of Utrecht 1983-1991: in several Arnhem and Wageningen bars and pubs 1996: in ‘de Pals,’ a Westervoort local swimming pool (!) For a year and a half they were seen on the tiles above the water. At Christmas someone put mistletoe and glass bulbs around the edges… At Easter time the paintings were seen with plastic eggs…. This must be the last time, Miriam decided. Second life One of the smallest paintings ‘Jump in Deep Water’ (1981) started a second life as a book cover and illustration for the musical OERSPRONG (a new word meaning something between ‘Giant Jump’, and ‘Origin’). OERSPRONG is a musical play about Ruth, the biblical figure, and her mother-in-law Naomi.