Henri's berichten over zijn recente activiteiten

Henri's reports on his recent activities

donderdag 23 december 2010

Light in the darkness

Naar aanleiding van het seizoen is het onderwerp “licht in het donker” gekozen: Een heldere figuur tegen een donkere achtergrond. Het is tegelijkertijd een studie van de kwal Aequorea cyanea, een lichtgevende (bioluminescerende) soort.

Aequorea cyanea, study in watercolour, 2010 (16 x 20 cm)

Induced by the season, the theme “light in the darkness” is chosen: A bright figure against a dark background. Which is simultaneously a study of the jellyfish Aequorea cyanea, a light-emitting (bioluminescent) species.

donderdag 16 december 2010

Accelerated Evolution of Airborne Marine Species

Nature has surprised us over and over again with ingenious and pragmatic answers to opportunities and threats. This watercolour is a fantasy about marine species that expand their natural environment by colonizing the atmosphere. So there you see sea slugs and jellyfish, following the inspiring example of flying fish.
In this image, I resume in a capricious way the body shapes of invertebrates, represented in the animal models by the Bohemian glass workers Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka. Actually, these are the main subject of my recent works.


(Versnelde Evolutie van in de Lucht Voorkomende Zeedieren)
 De natuur verbaast ons steeds weer met ingenieuze en pragmatische antwoorden op kansen en bedreigingen. Deze aquarel laat als fantasie zien hoe zeedieren hun natuurlijke milieu uitbreiden door de atmosfeer te koloniseren. Daar zie je ze: zeeslakken en kwallen, die het inspirerende voorbeeld van de vliegende vissen hebben nagevolgd.
Met deze uitbeelding ga ik op een speelse manier verder met de lichaamsvormen van ongewervelden, zoals die ook zijn weergegeven in de diermodellen, gemaakt door de Boheemse glasvormgevers Leopold en Rudolf Blaschka. Deze zijn feitelijk het hoofdonderwerp van mijn recente werk.
Accelerated Evolution of Airborne Marine Species, 2010 (21 x 30 cm)
My entry for the  "Science Without Borders Online Art Exhibition", A Virtual Science Art Exhibition in conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  Washington, D.C. February 17 - 21, 2011
The exhibition is organised by “Science Art-Nature” and the “American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)”. (Subject: Will There be Fish in the Ocean)

Mijn bijdrage voor de on-line kunsttentoonstelling  “Wetenschap Zonder Grenzen, Washington, D.C., 17 – 21 februari, 2011 (Thema: “Zullen er nog vissen in de oceaan zijn?”)

maandag 13 december 2010

Praya cymbiformis (B 215) / Praya galea in "Art Forms in Nature"


In the previous entries I focussed on Ernst Haeckel. This entry focuses on plate 77 in his Kunstformen der Natur (Art Forms in Nature), published in 1899 -1904, in order to stimulate the decorative arts.  


Praya cymbiformis (B 215), 2009 (60x50 cm)
The image shows a recently made watercolour (2009), and it is an interpretation of Praya cymbiformis, a colony building jellyfish. The Blaschkas made a glass model of this species, with catalogue number 215. 
This watercolour of Praya cymbiformis has a pedigree going back to 1854.
In that year, the German zoologist Carl Gegenbaur describes this species in his illustrated publication: "Beiträge zur näheren Kenntniss der Schwimmpolypen (Siphonophoren)", in: Zeitschrift für wissenschaftliche Zoologie, Bd. 5. Leipzig: Engel­mann, 1854, pp. 285-344.
It is known that the Blaschkas have based circa ten models on illustrations from publications by Gegenbaur.
Gegenbaur's scientific illustrations are copied by the Blaschkas, and these copies have been stored among their documentation, to be used as preparatory drawings for the production of glass models. A few of the models of this specific species survive until today and photographic material of one of these is provided by the Natural History Museum in Geneva. In turn, this is put to use as the preparatory image for the watercolour.
So, the image went from two dimensions in the original printed publication to three dimensions in the model and then back again to the two dimensions of the photo and painting. The process of copying reminds also of 16th century science, a period when science is highly document based. Further, it is important to understand that the image does not show an animal, but the species, a concept which is in itself an abstraction.
At every stage, the used imaging technique alters characteristics of the representation. The glass workers Blaschka specifically have added stiffness: undulating lines may have been straightened and stylised. By using watercolour, I re-introduced a wet look and feel. 

The animal indicated as Praya galea on plate 77 (Siphonophorae. Staatsquallen) in Kunstformen der Natur / Art Forms in Nature  by Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919) looks quite similar, and it is based on Haeckel's work on the siphonophores of the Challenger expedition. (E. Haeckel, ‘Report on the Siphonophorae collected by H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873-1876’   Report on the Scientific results of the voyage of H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873 – 76 [ …], Zoology 28 Pt. 27  - 1888) .
Haeckel applies elaborate undulation to the stem of the colony and to the tentacles, thus adding extra decorative features to the image. This is interesting, because Haeckel intends to influence specifically the decorative arts by the wealth of forms found in nature. Reiling takes this idea one step further, by exploring the representations of invertebrates and reinterpreting these as art forms in their own right.

donderdag 2 december 2010

Ernst Haeckel’s portrait II


Ernst Haeckel, 2010 (11 x 11 cm)
EN
The sketch of last week is transferred in a cardboard stencil to produce this small portrait in spraypaint.

DE
Die Skizze der vorigen Woche ist in eine Schablone aus Karton übertragen, um dieses kleine Portrait in Sprayfarbe herzustellen.


vrijdag 26 november 2010

Ernst Haeckel’s portrait

EN
This is a recent sketch of the portrait of Ernst Haeckel (1834 - 1919), zoologist from Jena University.  He nurtured an ardent advocacy for reform in many fields of life because of the Darwin’s evolution. I was triggered by an e-mail from Dr. Ludwig from Berlin, who aims to elucidate the relation of educational models and Haeckel’s work. This is a highly specialised theme and I am curious to learn what he will find.
In case of the Blaschka glass models Haeckel is one of the sources.

Ernst Haeckel, 2010 (15x17 cm) 

Soon, I will get back to the concept of Haeckel’s portrait.

DE
Dieses ist ein rezenter Entwurf des Portraits von Ernst Haeckel (1834 -1919), Zoologe der Jenaer Universität. Wegen  Darwins Evolutionstheorie möchte er sich leidenschaftlich befürworten für Reform auf vielen Lebensgebieten.  Ich wurde angeregt von einer E-Mail vom Dr. Ludwig von Berlin, der die Absicht hat, der Verband der pädagogischen Modelle und Haeckels Arbeiten zu erklären. Dieses ist ein  sehr spezialisiertes Thema und ich bin gespannt, zu erlernen, was er entdecken wird.
Im Falle der Blaschkas  Glasmodelle ist Haeckel einer der Quellen.

Bald werde ich das Konzept des Portraits Haeckels wiederaufnehmen. 

vrijdag 19 november 2010

startbericht - starting message


Het is vrijdag 19 november 2010. Dit blog is zojuist geopend om van gedachten te wisselen over m'n scheppende activiteiten.

Als aftrap een aquarel uit 2009 van twee zeeslakken (formaat: A3)



Today is Friday, November 19, 2010. I opened this blog in order to exchange ideas on my creative work.


To kick-off a 2009 watercolour featuring two sea slugs (size: A3)

Till next posting! Henri