Making Rainbows

Artists: Dennis Khalil & Gijs van Lith

Year: 2014 Medium: Photographic Wallpaper Installation

Dimensions: 343 x 555 cm

Two abstract paintings on display in a gallery. Two abstract artworks are mounted on a wall with a textured background in a gallery space, showcasing different color palettes and styles.

Two abstract paintings on display in a gallery.
Two abstract artworks are mounted on a wall with a textured background in a gallery space, showcasing different color palettes and styles.
People conversing in front of a colorful wall at an art exhibit. A group of individuals engaged in conversation in front of a vibrant, patterned wall at an art exhibit. The scene captures social interaction.

People conversing in front of a colorful wall at an art exhibit.
A group of individuals engaged in conversation in front of a vibrant, patterned wall at an art exhibit. The scene captures social interaction.
A vibrant pattern featuring horizontal stripes in multiple colors. A detailed pattern of horizontal stripes displaying a gradient of colors from pink to blue, suitable for various design applications.

A vibrant pattern featuring horizontal stripes in multiple colors.
A detailed pattern of horizontal stripes displaying a gradient of colors from pink to blue, suitable for various design applications.
Attendees at an art gallery event engaging in conversation. A busy art gallery event featuring attendees socializing and holding drinks in a well-lit environment.

Attendees at an art gallery event engaging in conversation.
A busy art gallery event featuring attendees socializing and holding drinks in a well-lit environment.
A wall featuring a grid of green and white tiles. A wall displaying a repetitive pattern of green and white tiles arranged in a grid layout. The tiles create a visually striking design.

A wall featuring a grid of green and white tiles.
A wall displaying a repetitive pattern of green and white tiles arranged in a grid layout. The tiles create a visually striking design.
Interior of a contemporary art gallery with abstract artworks. An interior view of a contemporary art gallery showcasing abstract paintings on the walls. The space features a minimalist design.

Interior of a contemporary art gallery with abstract artworks.
An interior view of a contemporary art gallery showcasing abstract paintings on the walls. The space features a minimalist design.
A sequence of images showing a person painting on a blue canvas. A series of images depicting an individual engaged in painting on a blue canvas attached to a wall.

A sequence of images showing a person painting on a blue canvas.
A series of images depicting an individual engaged in painting on a blue canvas attached to a wall.
A colorful wall mural with a gradient pattern. A wall mural displaying a gradient of colors in a grid layout, showcasing various shades from blue to yellow.

A colorful wall mural with a gradient pattern.
A wall mural displaying a gradient of colors in a grid layout, showcasing various shades from blue to yellow.
Attendees at an art gallery opening event interacting and socializing. A busy art gallery opening featuring numerous attendees engaged in conversation and viewing artwork.

Attendees at an art gallery opening event interacting and socializing.
A busy art gallery opening featuring numerous attendees engaged in conversation and viewing artwork.
A colorful grid pattern made up of small rectangles. A detailed grid pattern consisting of small rectangles in multiple colors, arranged systematically in rows and columns.

A colorful grid pattern made up of small rectangles.
A detailed grid pattern consisting of small rectangles in multiple colors, arranged systematically in rows and columns.

Project Statement

A Collaboration

‘Making Rainbows’ expands far beyond the borders of the ‘traditional’ notion of painting. This project is a collaboration between myself, Dennis Khalil, and painter Gijs van Lith. It started with our shared interest in capturing an entire creative process in a single, final image.

Capturing the Process

We thought it would be very interesting to have the beginning, all the mistakes, failures, successes, and everything in-between represented in one work. After an extensive period of research and experimenting, we found a method of capturing this whole process. I documented with my camera (similar to making a stop-motion movie) while van Lith painted a canvas in all the colors of the color spectrum. A picture was taken each second, which added up to over 8000 photos.

The Final Form

The final form of the work is a wallpaper, built up from over 8000 small pictures placed in a modernistic, grid-like pattern. It is a testament to a journey, where every step of the creation is made visible.

This project was exhibited at RH Contemporary Art. You can view more of Gijs van Lith’s work on his website.

Inquiries

For inquiries regarding this project or other collaborations, please contact the studio.

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