Latest Issue

No. 42 Summer 2026 25.00

1,2,3 under the apple tree

Make your own herman de vries

Article

Everything can be art, and everyone herman de vries.

herman de vries terwijl hij werkt aan 1,2,3 hours under my appletree, 1975
Fig 1. herman de vries working on 1,2,3 hours under my apple tree, 1975 | photo: susanne de vries

What you’ll need

  • autumn
  • folding chair
  • fruit tree
  • paper
  • glue
  • pencil
  • watch
  • patience
herman de vries, 1 uur onder de appelboom
Fig 2. herman de vries, 1 hour under my apple tree, 1975, collection Stedelijk Museum Schiedam

Working method

  1. Wait for leaves to begin falling.
  2. Take a folding chair and place it beneath an apple tree – or any other fruit tree.
  3. Lay a sturdy sheet of paper on the ground beneath the tree and, in pencil, write the date in the bottom right-hand corner.
  4. Sit down and watch the first leaf fall onto the paper (don’t sneak off for a whisky).
  5. Glue the leaf firmly to the paper. Make sure it stays exactly where it landed. Resist the temptation to think you know better than nature when it comes to composition.
  6. On the back, record the exact time at which the leaf fell. Repeat this for every leaf that falls from the tree over the next three hours.
  7. Take a moment to realize how fortunate you are.
  8. Take your artwork indoors. Press it beneath a stack of books, and after three days, hang your herman de vries on the wall.
  9. Sign your masterpiece with your own name.

Note:
If spending three hours gazing at an apple tree feels a little too ambitious, begin with just one hour. Or treat yourself, during the process, to a joint or another magical plant – like the ‘authentic herman de vries.

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