For the Flocart booth at the 2019 edition of Heimtextil Frankfurt, I decided to work with the theme 'The Flemish Primitives'. We wanted to focus on our textile heritage and the companies family roots as they are in their fifth generation already.
My idea was to use the Van Eyck painting 'The Ghent Altarpiece' also known as 'The adoration of the Lamb of God' - yes, the one with the mysteriously stolen panel. I had used this painting before for my final project at KASK Ghent, for which I won a prize.
As a patterns designer, making a panoramic for me is not just copy-paste-print. No way! I wanted to use the center piece as inspiration to create the perfect backdrop for our booth. One that attracts the eye but also invites to pop in and have a chat.
The dimensions of the wall were 4,50m high and 5,70m wide. I contacted Art In Flanders (former Lukasweb) to buy the large resolution images and off I went, discovering this beautiful painting from the comfort of my studio and getting lost in its details.*
Being used in a public place, I could not keep any of the features of faith, so I ended up erasing the rays of the Holy Spirit, being extremely labour intensive...
I am so pleased I could use this original work thanks to Art In Flanders, and make it my own. A real challenge. Obviously you can see the resemblance with the original painting, as I wanted to keep the Van Eyck spirit alive. However, comparing both closely, one sees how everything has been moved.
A pattern is one thing, but material is just as important! This elevates the design to a higher standard. The pattern was printed on a 20gr/m² Japanese non-woven with a platinum metallic backing, giving it extra shimmer and status (hard to capture on a photo).
The combination of the design, material and size had a real impact on our visitors. It was overwhelming but calming at the same time.
Nature attracts people, and if you are stuck in these large, crowded halls it is so welcome to see a bit of nature. And Van Eyck knows how to paint nature ...
* If you want to see all details of the Van Eyck restored painting, you can now visit http://closertovaneyck.kikirpa.be/ It is AMAMZING !
**Browse the Flemish Art Collections trough Art In Flanders. Downloads are also available there, with several license options!
My idea was to use the Van Eyck painting 'The Ghent Altarpiece' also known as 'The adoration of the Lamb of God' - yes, the one with the mysteriously stolen panel. I had used this painting before for my final project at KASK Ghent, for which I won a prize.
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Ghent Altarpiece, Jan Van Eyck - St. Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent.
Thanks to Art In Flanders for the image!
|
As a patterns designer, making a panoramic for me is not just copy-paste-print. No way! I wanted to use the center piece as inspiration to create the perfect backdrop for our booth. One that attracts the eye but also invites to pop in and have a chat.
The dimensions of the wall were 4,50m high and 5,70m wide. I contacted Art In Flanders (former Lukasweb) to buy the large resolution images and off I went, discovering this beautiful painting from the comfort of my studio and getting lost in its details.*
 |
The new design. The blue lines are cut marks for the wallcovering drops. Each one was 114cm wide.
A real challenge to pose on the such high wall.
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After a while I started to pick out the elements of interest and reconstructed a whole new image. The proportion between sky and land, the skyline, buidings, trees, bushes and grasses, all was brought together in a new way.
Being used in a public place, I could not keep any of the features of faith, so I ended up erasing the rays of the Holy Spirit, being extremely labour intensive...
 |
Ghent Altarpiece, Jan Van Eyck - St. Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent.
Thanks to Art In Flanders for the image!
|
I am so pleased I could use this original work thanks to Art In Flanders, and make it my own. A real challenge. Obviously you can see the resemblance with the original painting, as I wanted to keep the Van Eyck spirit alive. However, comparing both closely, one sees how everything has been moved.
 |
| A complete look at the booth. Behind the wall was a small kitchen. |
A pattern is one thing, but material is just as important! This elevates the design to a higher standard. The pattern was printed on a 20gr/m² Japanese non-woven with a platinum metallic backing, giving it extra shimmer and status (hard to capture on a photo).
 |
I completely changed proportion between sky and land.
The craqueled texture in the sky was enlarged to give it more drama.
|
The combination of the design, material and size had a real impact on our visitors. It was overwhelming but calming at the same time.
Nature attracts people, and if you are stuck in these large, crowded halls it is so welcome to see a bit of nature. And Van Eyck knows how to paint nature ...
* If you want to see all details of the Van Eyck restored painting, you can now visit http://closertovaneyck.kikirpa.be/ It is AMAMZING !
**Browse the Flemish Art Collections trough Art In Flanders. Downloads are also available there, with several license options!