Kunstletters nov 26 - feb 27: the power of series
The works in a series are connected by a shared idea, question, or approach to working and viewing that is explored anew each time. The repetition and variation give rise to a meaning that the works do not possess individually. The rhythm reveals patterns and establishes a common thread among the works.
A series can be based on a method: why do some artists keep returning to the same theme, motif, or color...? The element of “time” can be significant: the influence of current events, the seasons, or the series conceived as a lifelong project. Or a series can stem from a limitation an artist imposes on themselves (in color, format, or material). Discover the many perspectives on the series as a visual theme in the new issue.
Maja Kaurin: Memories of Color
During her walks through Brussels, Maja Kaurin collects colors, shapes, and impressions. She incorporates these observations and personal memories into a series of collages in which color tells its own story.
Mia Meutermans: A Therapist Paints
In her series Chairstories, Mia Meutermans brings together her two passions: painting and psychology. Chairs serve as the starting point for paintings about encounters, conversations, and human connections.
Laura Caroen: Weaving Ropes
Textile artist Laura Caroen combines natural and recycled materials and experiments with plants and dyes. She explores the boundaries of weaving, with one recurring element: rope.
Caroline Golkonda’s Workbench
In her paintings and drawings, Caroline Golkonda explores color, rhythm, and repetition. She works intuitively on several pieces at once, which grow layer by layer.
The End of the Series
When is a series complete? Matthias Huyghe, Ilona Segers, and Leen Sprangers discuss when they let go of a series, when they prefer to continue building on it, and how distance sometimes reveals new possibilities.
The best Advice: Bendt Eyckermans
“Never start with a blank page.” Bendt Eyckermans incorporates this advice from filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson into his artistic practice. He explains why continuing to create, staying curious, and learning to deal with failure are so important.
Annelies Poppe: The Value of Duplicates
A collection of old prints that her mother carefully preserved serves as the starting point for a unique series of collages. Annelies Poppe breathes new life into the duplicate prints, thereby exploring the meaning of collecting, remembering, and letting go.
Ben Martens: The Surprising Colors of Lichen
During a stay in Finland, Ben Martens discovered just how many different colors are hidden in the seemingly green forest. In his Jäkälä series, he repeatedly returns to the same image and explores how colors and images change through repetition.
Ten Series in Focus
Nearly 300 artists responded to our call for submissions on the theme of series. We selected ten diverse series in which artists play with repetition, variation, time, and the development of an idea.
