I choose Madeleine Bosscher’s work at the Stedelijk. She’s a dutch artist from Utrecht, born in 1942. The work’s title is “Golf (Wave)”, it was made in 1971 and was acquired by the Stedelijk the same year. The work is made with cellophane square pieces which she piles on top of each other, they are tied in knots and form a square with a “wave” or a bulge at the top. The cellophane looks like it has aged with time, it’s originally a clear material but in the Stedelijk it has this brown-ish tone. Finally it is concealed in a glass square. I was immediately drawn to it when I saw Bosscher’s work. I guess her choice of material really interests me, also since I like working with similar “man made” materials. Overall, I also think it’s just a really beautiful piece of artwork and unlike anything in the Design aisle at the Stedelijk, which also makes me wonder why it was placed there, among ceramic vases and modern jewelry design.
Madeleine Bosscher’s monumental structures and simple techniques show repetition, light and shade, her choice of material allows optimal luster, brilliance and reflection in imagining. Experimenting with plastics or actually a number of materials without “properties” and “anonymous”. She sees it as a challenge to use “poor” materials, such as polyethylene, cellophane and plastic film.
Upon further research she is unreachable to me. I can’t really find anything about her. I did learn that she used to teach here, at the Rietveld, between 1995 – 1996. I learned where she used to study, teach and some exhibitions she took part of but not much more. I find this in a way, very attractive but in a quite mysterious way. This name is included in the NOA because of the importance for the history of Dutch design. Yet, more details are unknown.
A massive disappointment. I did however find a photo of a very similar piece from the one I chose at the Stedelijk, Golf (Wave), also made by her. A beautiful picture and I can imagine it being even more beautiful in real life. This one is also quite larger then the one at Stedelijk, which makes me more eager to want to see it.
"Five Waves" (180x220 cm, detail), 1973, The Netherlands, Exhibited at the Museum: "Structure of textiles", 1976-1977, Amsterdam. Material: cellophane, technique: smyrna nodes in different lengths
Why can’t I find anything else? I could have chosen anything at the Stedelijk but for some great reason I choose her work, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I did come across a small article though, about this above piece in which I read and learned that she held some similarities with Japanese textile artists, which I thought was very interesting and suiting for her work.
“Her way of working has surprisingly many similarities with that of the Japanese textile artists, not so much in terms of the material, as in the mentality and atmosphere that go out of her work.”
Example: A Kimono, early 1850’s
Recently when I’ve been browsing through books or the internet I’ve come across many artists using her type of material. For example here is work of artist Karla Black using cellophane.
Necessity, 2012, cellophane, sellotape, paint, body moisturisers and cosmetics
I hope that artist come across Madeleine Bosscher and take inspiration from her. I know I have.