#079 - Rutger de Vries
#079 - Rutger de Vries
Destination: No Point Atelier, Bulgaria
Date: 22 November - 29 November, 2021
About Rutger de Vries
The process of Rutger de Vries is best described as experimental. Utilizing paint -filled fire extinguishers and self-built painting machines, his often site specific works are built up with a subtractive color model and a clear reference to the CMYK color printing process. His roots as a graphic designer and graffiti writer always shining through.
You can find more work of Rutger de Vries on his website: www.rutgerdevries.net
Destination: No Point Atelier, Bulgaria
Up in a small mountain village, that inhabits not more than 30 permanent residents, lies the home of No Point Atelier. An artist print studio and residency run by Miroslav Zhivkov. The print studio with large open windows facing the valley provides stunning views of the nature throughout the seasons. Additionally, with the Buzludzha monument close by, the area is host to one of the most impressive former Soviet architecture relics in Bulgaria.
The No Point Atelier print studio is a studio that focuses on experimentation within silkscreen printing and riso printing. Making it the perfect place for Rutger de Vries to lock himself into a print studio and start experimenting.
Details about the print
Dimensions: ± 50 x 70 cm
Medium: three colours, circular split fountain print
Edition: unique variants in an edition of 50, signed and numbered by the artist
A little word by Rutger…
“To be honest I was a bit nervous for my trip. I not only had to come up with a concept for my artwork but also produce the prints during the trip, and I didn’t want to prepare or plan anything in advance so I could get inspired by my experiences there. I was also a little bit concerned if I would have enough time to check out my new surroundings as well. I’m super happy all of this worked out. In my mind I thought Bulgaria was much more modern and organized than it actually was. As a result I was quite overwhelmed by its roughness. What really intrigued me was the faded glory of communism which you can see everywhere. The architecture is a clear reminder, along with the abandoned factories and the many monuments throughout the country.
In the city of Gabrovo I visited the Etar Museum, an ethnograpic open-air museum where they rebuilt a Bulgarian revival village. Inspired by all the hand operated tools the craftsman used here, I decided to also create a tool that I could integrate in the process of silkscreening. Inspired by the Buzludzha Monument being a round building, and a centre point of communism, placed like a UFO on top of the mountain I came up with the idea of changing the linear movement of silkscreening into a circular one. And because everything was so gray and lacking color, I felt like I had to contradict this by using the brightest colors I could find in the workshop.
My hosts, Miro and Yana from No Point Atelier are such a warm and open people, so it was really great staying with them. In my experience silkscreen printers always pursue to make the perfect print and sometimes have problems dealing with people like me, being more interested in the mistakes in the process and making a mess. So it was a relieve that Miro was open for my way of working and experimenting.”
Travel diary…
Monday, November 22, 2021
After a long day of traveling I arrived in Balani village where I was welcomed by Miro, Yana, their friend Toni, and many, many cats. After having a coffee with traditional Bulgarian Banitsa they showed me around in their house and printing studio. It really is an amazing place with a beautiful view, that we enjoyed the rest of the day while drinking wine on the porch.
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Today Toni, the friend of Miro and Yana, took me on a sightseeing tour through the surroundings of Gabrovo, a city close by where she is from (and their world famous artist Christo as well). Gabrovo was once the centre of the textile industry and people called it the Manchester of Bulgaria. Nowadays it’s a perished city with a lot of abandoned factories, unmaintained buildings and ruins from the communist era.
Wednesday, November 23, 2021
This morning I visited Etar, an open air museum nearby where they rebuilt a Bulgarian revival village in which they show the Bulgarian customs, culture and craftsmanship. Inspired by the craftsmen and their tools I decided to visit some hardware stores in the city which took me most of the day. The evening I spent with Miro in the studio mixing pigments and doing color tests for my print.
Thursday, November 25, 2021
Today was a full studio day. Inspired by yesterday’s visit at Etar I decided to go back to the basics and build a simple analog tool. Using the materials I got from the hardware store I constructed a tool which allows me to make circles with a squeegee, changing the linear movement of silkscreening into a circular one. After that it was time for experimenting with the colors I mixed last night.
Friday, November 26, 2021
Another full-on printing day at the studio! Spinning with the tool and lots of colors.
Saturday, November 27, 2021
After a long bumpy ride, on a road with dozens of potholes, we arrived at the Buzludzha monument for a visit. The monument, situated on the historical peak of Buzludzha was build by the Bulgarian communist government for meetings and events. After the fall of communism the brutalist monument got abandoned and unfortunately still is. The monument and the area around it were very impressive.
Sunday, November 28, 2021
After sorting and signing the prints, and a last lunch, I packed my bags and drove back towards Sofia to catch my flight. Many thanks to Yana and Miro from NoPoint Atelier for having and taking such good care of me. And thanks The Jaunt for the invite for the trip, it has been a great experience!
