Silk — Jan De Vliegher

For his new series 'Silk' Jan De Vliegher found inspiration in colorful 18th-century silk fabrics: brocade and damask from the Soieries silk atelier in Lyon.
Jan De Vliegher has a fascination with the 18th century. Previously he painted rococo interiors from Venetian palaces, the Hofburg in Vienna and the palace of Versailles, and everything that belongs in a palace: crystal glasses and decanters, crockery and plates in porcelain, marble busts, chandeliers, silverware, ... In his paintings the reflecting light and shadows come loose from the objects and form abstract compositions that refer to abstract expressionism.
De Vliegher attaches great importance to organization and balance. In the series 'Silk' the all-over composition is strongly reflected. This method arranges colors and shapes according to a geometrical system. Several forms are rhythmically repeated over the entire surface and appear to continue infinitely outside the painting. The all-over composition was introduced by Jackson Pollock and subsequently used by Willem de Kooning, Cy Twombly and Gerard Richter amongst others.