[Title] A Windy Scenery
[Artist] Jurgen Bey
[Date] Feb 24,2013 – Mar 18, 2013
Jurgen Bey, which leads a design team ‘’Studio Makkink & Bey’’, produced the first Maison Hermès window of 2013, kicking off the annual theme of “Chic, le sport ! ” In this display, a landscape dear to the hearts of the Japanese people is magnificently expressed through embroidery crafted onto woolen felt. The latest program played out within this street corner theater presented year-round by Maison Hermès, features soft textiles, suspended movement, a roaring wind stemming from the work of a renowned Japanese woodblock artist. This is flanked with the window-encapsulated saga of an artisan engaged in handcrafting an imaginary scene, diligently working with the time-honored Dutch material of woolen felt.
The window on the right depicts the elegant movement of a scarf fluttering in a gusting wind. The scarves gracefully dance in movements of air and light, its visual undulations orchestrating the details of the richly colored and complex pattern in a natural flow. Relating this scene to the realm of sport, the images can also be seen to closely reflect the theme of “elegance in motion.”
Inspiring the scene in this window is “Fugaku 36-kei Sunshu Ejiri” . This particular work shows travelers caught in a sudden whirlwind. They struggle to hold down or retrieve their sedge hats and papers under assault from the strong breeze. In keeping with this work, portrayed at the background of the window are supposed belongings of the Hokusai woodblock print characters, being tossed high into the skies. Kite flying, naturally, is a sport undertaken in unison with the winds. Traditionally, it also qualifies as a delightful pastime with the option of using fashion to convey special touches of elegance. This window display features a scene comprised of trees sewn from woolen felt, along with cutouts of the woodblock figures staggering along under the force of the stiff winds. There, brilliantly colored scarves are transformed into a kite-like body, fluttering, suspended, in the sky overhead.
In contrast to the window on the right, designed to captures a dynamic instant in the sheer force of nature, the left-side window depicts a single artisan, turned to and fully focused on his sewing machine. The craftsman works to bring forth images of an envisioned and idyllic world. Within his studio, the artisan sews delicate thread into the richly soft felt material. Cleary, he is caught up in the task of realizing stage decor further accentuating the radiant presence of the high-flying kite scarf on the right. Behind him, a poster on the studio wall beams out images of the sun, moon, stars, cloud formations, natural elements and a stylized wind vane. For the artisan, this is one more source of inspiration in the quest to bring to life a soft and supple universe on his canvas of purely natural and unprocessed woolen felt. Within the same window space, thread that the artisan has not incorporated into his felt creations flows down over the edges of his worktable. In that state, the strands embody the direction of the wind, evolving into a distinctive expression of the chic majesty of sports instilled with the raw power of nature.
* Artist Profiles
Jurgen Bey was born in Soest in the Netherlands in 1965. He joined with Rianne Makkink to form a design team leading to the establishment of Studio Makkink & Bey. The key focus of their creative activity is on illustrating the bonds between material commodities and the means in which they are applied. His studio’s projects span products, furniture, interior design, public space and numerous other genres. Through teaching, speaking engagements and exhibitions, the concepts that he brings to his work have come to exert a strong influence on fellow artists, students and others both in the Netherlands and other countries.
Bey produced this Maison Hermès window in collaboration with German designer Anke Weiss. A fully trained and educated goldsmith, Weiss has forged a trademark ability to transform all types of materials into creations that both delight and mesmerize. She brings her expertise and meticulous attention to a vast range of work – extending from the realm of recycling to the meticulous handling of precious high-end materials.
“Fugaku 36-kei Sunshu Ejiri”
Sunshu Ejiri or Ejiri in Sunshu Province is one of the 36 views of Mt. Fuji created by woodblock artist Hokusai Katsushika in the 19th century. Sunshu Ejiri is set in what is today Shimizu City, Shizuoka Prefecture.