If you like your fine art deconstructed, just a little bit distressed and reimagined as abstract contemporary patterns – well, you’re in exactly the right place. Blackpop, the creation of Maxine Hall, produces gorgeous contemporary wallpapers and fabrics inspired by “the rich tapestry of the past”.
The latest collection, in collaboration with the National Gallery, is ‘The Tudor Collection – Deconstructed’ and was created using images taken as part of the National Portrait Gallery’s Making Art in Tudor Britain research project.
The design above is called ‘Mary’ and, like the rest of the range, is available as both a wallpaper and a rich velvet fabric. Speaking just for myself, they had me at the turquoise,red/orange and gold colour palette, but the faded, distressed finish along with the intriguing pattern are the icing and the cherries on this rather wonderful cake.
The fusion of past, present and future is remarkable. The designs bring to mind beautifully faded frescoes in Italy and Greece, but there’s nothing remotely fusty or antique about the vibrancy of the colours and the energy of the patterns.
Maxine has the following to say of the inspiration behind her time-travelling designs:
“I like the quote by Eadweard Muybridge, it goes something like this:
“When we walk we leave one step in the past and stride the other towards the future, the gap in between is in the present.”
And so my designs rework a hybrid of ideas but in my heart and in my head I’m interested in creating patterns for the moment and classic wallpapers and fabrics for the future”.
The above images are of the design ‘Elizabeth, and below is the tawny gold and opulent ‘Henry’:
Of the Tudor Collection – Deconstructed project, Maxine says:
“Working with the team at the National Portrait Gallery and these amazing paintings has been a complete privilege. Being able to examine and reimagine over 20 works to create abstract, contemporary patterns has been a creatives dream.
The richness and depth of the colour palette alone gives these new designs an edge and a stand out wow factor that I am very excited to call our second collection”.
“Wow” is definitely the word. Find more details and buy online at blackpop.co.uk
Comments are closed.