Last January I went to Brussels again on an early Sunday in search of antique frames at the flea market in Des Marolles. I always find beautiful antique frames there. My works in antique frames were sold out in no time in December and January in the Pop Up store in Den Bosch and because we will continue with the store until June, it was time to look for new frames.
Despite the cold and the rain, it is always a joy to arrive in Brussels so early in the morning and go ‘treasure hunting’. All kinds of beautiful curiosities, design lamps, antique brooches and jewelry and old paintings in frames are displayed on rugs. I ‘ve learned to determine pretty quickly if there is something interesting for me. Probably because of my years of searching in these types of markets, I now have a trained eye and quickly see what is interesting to me and what is not.
This time I also came across frames with water damage on the linen inlays or dents in corners, but just like when you are going to renovate an old house, you have to be able to see through that. It gives me a good feeling to be able to give something a 2nd life and to repair it or to add something to an old frame so that the whole thing gets something extra. For example, I came across two frames with a linen inlay, but with slight water damage. Still, I bought them, painted over the linen with a coarse brush with white paint, and made an artwork that had a connection to the frame.
The picture and the frame are made for each other (see blog ‘Made for each other’). Meaning my process is reversed. Usually, you create a work and then pick a frame. I do the opposite, I find a frame and see what it tells me, what inspiration and which design fits best. When the design for the frame is finished, I have a new passepartout cut and the frame gets museum glass (anti-reflective and UV-resistant).
My visit to Brussels gave me a nice stock of antique frames, some of which are now displayed with new work in the Pop Up shop in Den Bosch.