Drawings
Levelen
Unframe a drawing I had just finished asked for this sequel. At a certain distance it looks like a pattern of 10 tubular frame chairs. But is that true? Two patterns that interfere and, depending on the position you take as a viewer, produce an ever subtly changing image. A kind of kinetic art where the energy has to come from you as a viewer.
I also made this as a preliminary study for a larger work in color on watercolor cardboard. This one will follow next summer.
Unframe
Already two years ago I made Levitation and this is a direct successor of course, which does not mean that I was aware of that when I made this one. This way you see that you can end up in a place where you once were via yet another way. I especially like this spatial game because you can actually only play it ‘live’. Play along!
Elevate
When is a drawing still a drawing? I usually draw in pencil. Look at my ‘drawing’ The making of.. and there I draw with iron wire. I continue that line in this work. The seat and back are made with the paper, simili japon, which I always draw on. Do I sign it now?
Twee rolstoelen
The first impression, looking at all the other chairs I’ve drawn over the years, is undoubtedly “Why a wheelchair?”. And indeed the more there is added on a chair, no matter how functional, the less my interest in it. At the same time, I come across one quite often, so somewhere such a chair is always latently present. Semantically, you can philosophize about when a wheelchair is a wheelchair? I did that with this as a result. Incidentally, I expect that this (left) wheelchair will remain an exception. (In dutch a ‘rol’ is also a cylinder/role what makes it difficult to translate it in English)
The making of
When drawing the line comes from the pencil and in line with that thought I started making this work. I must add that the idea has been boosted by the fact that it often happens that the core of the pencil, the graphite rod, is significantly shorter than the Koh-I-Noor pencil is long. Then you look into a small black hole where a piece of iron wire fits exactly….
Pas de deux XIV
Armed across the street? Hooked up for a dashing waltz, polka or line dance? Take a seat and think about which dance you prefer. The flowing style of the thonet chair with its beautifully curved wood is full of movement. The fact that it was not the subject of my ‘pas de deux’ series so far, surprised myself perhaps the most. But yes, what is obvious is often enough out of sight.
Next level II
What does a skewer have to do with a chair? Why not make a chair with a skewer. Voila.
Medusa’s stoel
When steamed hot, the hard wood becomes flexible, Thonet invented it and became immortal with it. The round wood takes on almost snake-like properties. The basis for this drawing is his 214. A timeless design that is still highly sought after. I already turned this one into a spider. I had been playing with the idea of combining Medusa with a Thonet for some time, but it just didn’t want to fit together.
At first I was looking for that match more at the top, near the backrest, but see here when I managed to get rid of it…
Universe III
From time to time the hexagonal frame keeps popping up in my work. This has everything to do with its isometric basis. Those who follow the developments in my pencil drawings have noticed that the third dimension has found its way in all kinds of ways, showy, subtle and devious. One of my earliest pencil drawings ‘Universe’ from 1992 finds a descendant in this one.
Pedestal IV
The tulip armchair by Eero Saarinen is a suitable candidate for my ‘Pedestal’ series, which now consists of four pieces, especially because of its base. The base of the chair is literally the pedestal under the framed drawing, making the whole into a free-standing object. For those who look further on my website, you will of course immediately see the link with the ‘Exit‘ series.
Pedestal III
The ‘Kufenstuhl‘ a German school chair which was standard made in five different sizes. It was designed by Karl Nothhelfer. For me, the base through which the chair actually rests on two legs was the reason why I was triggered by this design.
Pedestal II
Last spring during Huntenkunst’22 there were three somewhat older wooden German office chairs in a colleague’s stand. After a pleasant conversation at my stand, we came to discuss the chairs, how could it be otherwise. I photographed them because they appealed to me. As is often the case, the memory of it faded into oblivion until I made Pedestal. Then I immediately remembered these three chairs. The photo turned out to be still on my phone.
Exit VIII
In the quest described in Exit VII, my other eye fell on this 1905/1906 design by the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It was designed for the Peter A. Beachy House in Chicago. The extremely high railing clearly has an aesthetic function. It is that height that caught my eye and, as it were, seduced me to this 3D drawing.