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Roland Cornelis Greefkes (May 27, 1941 – August 17, 2021) was a Dutch-American master blacksmith.
Greefkes was married to Charlotte Walker, an author and English professor, until her death on January 1, 2021. Greefkes died at a hospital in Cooperstown, New York on August 17, 2021, of complications from a fall.
Some of his major works included a driveway gate for Yoko Ono, a firescreen for Bette Midler, firescreens for Blythe Danner and Bruce Paltrow, and a table for Eagles guitarist Don Felder. His "Paradise Gate", an intricate garden gate commissioned by Australian fantasy writer Sara Douglass, is installed in her garden in Tasmania. His liturgical wrought iron pieces are in several churches up and down the East Coast of the United States.
Works
His wrought iron work is characterized by strong representations of nature, freely interpreted in his own style, yet rooted in his father's Art Deco 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)
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Categories: 1941 Births, 2021 Deaths, 20th-century American Artists, 20th-century Dutch Artists, 21st-century American Artists, 21st-century Dutch Artists, Accidental Deaths From Falls In The United States, Accidental Deaths In New York, 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
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