Collective Tapestry

Been there, done that!

Freeling Waters

Frieling and Wouters share a concept of painting comparable to making music. They prepare their works as a series of successive gestures. Paints are applied in transparent layers which all have a function in the final result. There is no room for mistakes or retouches. There is no trial and error, no struggle, no stepping back. Painting is to surrender to the movements of your hands.

The decorative painters Gijs Frieling and Job Wouters first teamed up in 2008 and enjoyed quick success after Dries van Noten commissioned them to design prints and a large-scale mural inspired by Frank Zappa visuals for his Fall/Winter 2012 runway show.

A decade later, the Dutch duo now known as FreelingWaters have a large body of collective works, from illustrated cabinets to wallpaintings, to completely decorated churches this duo dazzles any of their works spectators with their vibrant collors and patterns.

Workshop

If you could draw on the big white wall of the Rietveld Canteen…what would you draw? Join renowed artists Gijs Frieling and Job Wouters in the making of a collective painterly mural. For a week long, students will together with the artists, paint the 16 x 6 metres wall in the Canteen of the Rietveld building. The aim is to make a collective tapestry, in which all individual handwritings will contribute to one piece. The thematics of this project are a research on collectivity and working together – which in a way is public since all of it will take place in the canteen. The wall paining will be like a contemporary grafitti; it will disappear after some time. What remains is the collective thoughts and gestures made by the group of painters.

Set up

Max 20 students can apply

Students are motivated to draw/paint, and are dedicated to join this project for a full week, daily from 9–17 ‘o clock.

An important part of working on the mural is to be dedicated, which contributes to being able to focus on the work, but is also important for teambuilding.

Many painterly elements will take stage, from very focused exercises to bigger gestures – first on large papers and later on the wall. Job and Gijs are very skilled in shapes and color but also they are familiar with the recepies for collectively create a big mural painting.