Artist Frans Beerens takes photographs of deserted landscapes across Europe and gives them new vitality by turning them into tapestries. Some 460 shades of grey were developed with the TextielLab to give the black and white photos a materiality that comes as close as possible to the texture and tactility of the depicted landscapes.
How many shades of grey can you weave on a loom? That is what Beerens set out to discover in 2013. A photo of a carpet restoration workshop in Florence inspired Beerens to experiment with textiles in 2007. Materiality plays a major role in his work. A two-dimensional photo is given texture and depth in the tapestries. Most of the images depict deserted landscapes. Any people in the shot are shown carrying out traditional activities. This tapestry is part of a series that was woven in 2015.
In the first phase of the research process in 2013, Beerens created 460 different shades of grey by changing the colour of seven weft yarns and by going from a white warp to a black warp. This process enabled him to determine the exact degree of contrast for the series. In the second phase, he opted to weave the tapestries in 19 shades of grey. The tapestries mainly used natural materials. The choice of material for each tapestry was determined by the image, ensuring the right depth or relief in exactly the right place.
Beerens (Doetinchem, 1960) lives and works in Den Bosch. He studied at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in Den Bosch and the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht. He makes sculptures, installations and films. In recent years, he has mainly focused on woven photos. Nature, organic objects and deserted places play an important role in his work. He has had solo exhibitions in Fotomuseum Huis Marseille in Amsterdam, De Pont Museum in Tilburg and Design Museum Den Bosch.
