If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives): sculpture

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Whimsical Entrance Gates Designed For An Amsterdam School Garden by Tjep.

Two stunning entrance gates serve as portals to nature in the historical Amstel Area. Frank Tjepkema (aka Tjep), along with Leonie Janssen, crafted two colored galvanized steel gates coated with epoxy and on a concrete foundation for the Aemstel Schooltuin (school garden).

The new working-garden, where over 500 school children aged 9 to 11 will learn about nature and grow their own plants, is situated on Kalfjeslaan, Amstel – a picturesque place steeped in rich cultural history.

Tjep. had the honour of being asked to create two new sets of entrance gates to the garden, a project commissioned by Stadsdeel Zuid, the Amsterdam South City Council.

Two sets of monumental gates will guard both approaches to Aemstel Schooltuin and add a contemporary element to this historic area. Settled next to the Riekermolen, built in 1636, the area has a long history of natural beauty appreciated by none other than Rembrandt himself. His statue sits next to the new school garden, frozen in the act of painting the famous windmill. One set of gates will mark the entrance from Kalfjeslaan, and the other will sit on the route from Amsteldijk.

“This amazing area deserved a design that paid homage to the unique context, but also brought a new influence to the place.” Says Tjep. founder and lead designer, Frank Tjepkema. The design integrates references to the lush flora and fauna of the surrounding environment, classical era elements with a contemporary urban graffiti construction.

Frank Tjepkema states that “a strict functional requirement was that the gates would stop those notorious plant criminals, rabbits – which we do through tightly woven patterns at the bottom. When constructed, these gates will stand at eight meters wide and four meters tall and become a portal, ushering people from the urban Amstel to the historic landscape beyond. I hope children and others will feel some anticipation, some excitement, as they pass through the gates to discover the verdant wonders of nature.”

Tjep
Production of the gates by Smederij van Rijn

all photos and information courtesy of Frank Tjepkema

My Valentine To You: The Evolution Of The Kiss In Art.

Ah, the kiss. The most romantic expression of love and tenderness. You may think that kissing as a subject in fine art is trite or cliche, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been depicted beautifully by many of the world's most well-known and respected artists. As my Valentine to you, I have rounded up some of the most interesting and iconic expressions of "The Kiss" (Le Baiser, Der Kuss) by established artists over the past 150 years.

THE KISS:
The Kiss has long been a favorite subject for painters but no one has captured it quite like the pieces shown below, many of which have been reproduced over and over again. Here are some very famous - and not so famous - versions in chronological order starting with one of the most well-known examples that inspired many of the others, Francesco Hayez' The Kiss.

Francesco Hayez, The Kiss, 1859:

Auguste Rodin, The Kiss, marble sculpture. The piece was initially commissioned by the French State in 1888 and carved between 1888 and 1898. It was cast in bronze by Rodin as well:

William-Adolphe Bouguereau's most famous painting, Cupid and Psyche as Infants, is often incorrectly labeled as Le Premier Baiser (The First Kiss, 1873), 1890:

One of the earliest known paintings of a same sex kiss is that by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. He actually painted two works of the female couple in a lip lock in the same year and the two are often confused.

The Kiss, 1892:

In Bed, The Kiss (1892):

Edvard Munch also created multiple versions of his own interpretation of The Kiss in oil paint, lithography and woodcut as shown below.

The Kiss painting, 1897:

The Kiss lithograph, 1897:

The Kiss woodcut, 1897:

Easily the most well-known of Austrian painter Gustave Klimt's work is his The Kiss, painted between 1908 and 1909:

Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi's modern interpretation in stone as well as plaster. He created many versions of The Kiss, further simplifying geometric forms and sparse objects in each version, tending each time further toward abstraction.

The Kiss, stone, 1907-1910:

The Kiss, plaster, 1907-1910:

Rene Magritte's surrealist Interpretation of The Kiss, 1951:

Pablo Picasso actually created many pieces (at least 10) named The Kiss (or Le Baiser) during the years of his life.

First, his figurative version of The Kiss (also known as The Embrace), approx 1905:

His abstracted version of The Kiss in 1925:

His surrealist version of The Kiss (also known as Figures By The Seaside) in 1931:

In 1969, Picasso painted a series of three pictures on the theme of 'The Kiss' (artist Jeff Koons owns one the momochromatic version on the left of the second photo) a day before his 88th birthday at his home at Mougins along the Côte d'Azur, where he lived the last fifteen years of his life:

And yet another painting of The Kiss by Picasso in 1969:

Joël Peter Witkin, an American photographer whose work often involves corpses, created this grotesque version of The Kiss in 1982:

South African artist Tracey Rose, who works with photography, video installations and performance art, created this live installation of The Kiss in 2001 of which 6 editions of Lamba prints were made:

William Cobbing further contemporized The Kiss by adding yet another medium, video, in 2004:

Inspired by a journalist's photo of then Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and East German leader Erich Honecker sharing a kiss, Russian artist Dmitry Vrubel, painted his version of it on a surviving portion of the Berlin Wall in 2009:

And lastly, The Kiss, 2013 as seen by contemporary artist Erwin Wurm:

Interested in an even greater art selection of kisses? Check out The Kiss: A Celebration of Love in Art

And there you have it. I hope you enjoyed my selections and I wish all of you a very Happy Valentine's Day with lots of kisses.

Turn Your Genetic Profile Into Jewelry, Furniture and Home Accessories.

Call it a literal expression of life. Or just a very unique way to create an object that reflects your genetic makeup. Whatever you choose to call it, the customized products designed by Dutch DNA and created by by Frank Tjepkema's Design House Tjep., make the world's most personal gifts.

Dutch DNA has a creative process that samples a person’s life-code using a DNA profiling test and, through the language of design, plots the distinguishing genetic characteristics on a visual design map. Based on a unique design process, the beautiful and elegant forms which capture the eloquent expression of life, are then modeled into a specific item (furniture, jewelry or objects) before being handcrafted in the Netherlands and shipped to its destination.

The DNA patterns used to form designs can be anyone’s. Just like nature, combinations can also be used to create a unique articulation of a couple’s love or a family’s remembrance. “I see two lovers creating unique artefacts for their shared home that is truly a conjoint reflection of both individuals,” notes Frank Tjepkema.

Guilia:
The first display pieces were made from Giulia Wolthuis’s DNA. Giulia is a Dutch contemporary dance performer and model, and daughter of Eric Wolthuis, the founder of Dutch DNA.

The first collection was made from Giulia’s life pattern. To capture and express Giulia’s life, Dutch DNA sampled her life code and through the language of design translates Giulia’s distinguishing genetic characteristics into visual forms, such as the four pieces shown below.

Jewelry Designs from mapping Guilia's DNA:

In the collection are two types of designs. One is based on abstract forms, where each genetic map itself if the defining source of inspiration. The second combines the genetic maps with symbolic forms. The symbolic pieces are more constrained and the design incorporates the genetic characteristics into patterns that are used to modify existing forms, such as the Shifting Hearts. Both types of pieces create beautifully expressive designs; the preference of choice is purely a personal decision.

Each piece in this exquisite collection expresses the genetic uniqueness of its creator. Custom designed by acclaimed design house Tjep. and handcrafted by artisans from the finest materials, every item is a true work of art.

The Collection:

DNA JEWELRY
Flow Rings:

Bloom Rings:

Blossom bracelet:

Reflection pins:

Double Love Heart Pendant:

Shifting Heart Pendants:

Silverline Heart Pendants:

DNA FURNITURE
The Darwin table is crafted through precision 3D milling and hand-finished in the Netherlands by the same artisans that create Joris Laarman’s furniture. Eric Wolthuis initiated the investigation into how genetic patterns could augment design. “I first looked at jewelry, which is very personal, but knew there was more. Furniture is a natural extension of our desire to create original and personal habitats; what is more personal than modeling your home through your own DNA?”

Dutch DNA Darwin Coffee Table:

OBJECTS/ HOME ACCESSORIES:

Shifting Heart:

Porcelain Heart:

Helix sculpture:

To commission your own personal expression of life, review the collection and then contact Dutch DNA to arrange the first step in the creation process - DNA profiling.
Dutch DNA also undertakes tailored commissions for items not listed in this collection. Contact them to request more information.

PARTNERS:
• Tjep.
Tjep. are an acclaimed design house who fuse together peerless design with accomplished expertise in the latest production techniques. Internationally, Tjep. is recognized for their award-winning product, interior, architecture, furniture and jewelry design. Their iconoclastic work is defined by strong design concepts, beautiful aesthetics and great functionality.

• Tjalling Wolthuis
Founded in 1933, Tjalling Wolthuis is a fourth generation, family-owned business with a heritage as specialist art dealers in 17th century jewelry and silverware. The company ran a selection of jewelry stores until the late 1980’s, and now produces commemorative jewelry. As the production partner to Dutch DNA, their expertise guarantees the highest quality materials, methods and artisans are engaged in the fabrication of each piece.

• BaseClear
BaseClear is an independent and accredited service laboratory for DNA-based research. The leading laboratory in the Netherlands, they provide the fast and secure DNA profiling required for the initiation of each Dutch DNA project.

Eric, who has commissioned designs based on his daughter’s, his wife’s and his own genetic patterns, states “Seeing yourself and your family visualized in this way is very powerful, it’s a deeply emotional way of embodying everything that they represent to you.”