[Title] Action Painting
[Artist] Jerszy Seymour
[Date] July 17 – September 16, 2008
The scene is a kaleidoscopic mix of brightly colored powders, along with Hermès products, all flying through the air. In this seasonal window display, the genre of “action painting” is derived from images of the famous Indian festival known as “Holi.”
This gala occasion takes place in all regions of India to celebrate the arrival of spring. It has developed into one of the most wild and passionate of all Hindu religious festivals, with people gathering from all around to hurl colored powder and water at each other. In India, a society known for its long list of social institutions and restraints, this merriment furnishes people with one of the few occasions in which they are permitted to break loose and vent their accumulated energy. As the colored water and vivid powders stream together, both the revelers and the air become steeped in the many shades. Such gaudy, untamed scenes unfold in all corners of the nation as spring rolls in.
The free flying powder traces a path inside the window. The painting, a chance creation emerging from the random tossing together of so many different colors, also exists as a crystallization that literally teems with energy. The Hermès creations likewise soar off in all directions, suggesting that every single article in the vicinity has been cast wildly into the air. Analogous to the Holi festival, in which rules and limits are set aside and all is forgotten as energy is released, the “flood of colors” in the autumn tradition are similarly unleashed within the window domain.
Jerszy Seymour
Born in Berlin in 1968, Canadian, Jerszy Seymour grew up in London, where he studied engineering at South Bank Polytechnic 1987 – 1990 and industrial design at the Royal College of Art 1991 – 1993. Whilst living in Milan he started his own experimental projects including ‘House in a Box’ in 2002, ‘Scum’ in 2003 – and the clothing concept ‘Tape’ in 2003. These and other on going conceptual projects form the central thrust of his work. In parallel he has also designed for leading design companies such as Magis and Vitra. His work has been exhibited in the Design Museum in London, the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rheim, the MoMA New York and the Palais De Tokyo in Paris. He has taught at the Royal College of Art in London, the Domus Academy in Milan etc. He currently works and lives in Berlin.