Ever wondered what a spray paint can made of solid graffiti looks like?
This post may include affiliate links.
This piece called "One in a thousand pieces" was made by Dutch artist Koen Noordenbos and founder of Koema. The can weighs more than 1 kg and consists of about a hundred years of spray paint, laminated together in a solid block and lathed back into its original shape.
The material used to make the can was salvaged from Holland's largest and most predominant legal graffiti wall: the "Princes Irene tunnel" in Delft.
Before being torn down in 2015, the Irene tunnel was a dynamic place used by street artists from all over the country. It chronicles our rich graffiti history and carries with it a piece of the Dutch street art history.
Koen started his company with a jewelry line called "A thousand layers of paint" consisting of jewelry made of solid graffiti. Every piece of graffiti was single-handedly taken from the wall (using giant paint scrapers), crafted and assembled into a wearable piece of sentiment. The thick layer of paint hides a wealth of different colors and patterns. By editing the material, the artist reveals its rich layers that overlap in wavy patterns and reminding of marble, geographic maps, fractals or even the abstract art of Jackson Pollock. Every piece has its own unique look and feel, enclosing the intrinsic value of a relic.
In Koen’s hands, derelict walls with faded graffiti become jewelry with many background stories, maybe thousands...
Koen has an unrestrained love for waste materials. Working from his studio at the largest thrift store depot in Delft, he is surrounded by an infinite supply of second-hand products and materials. His unusual eye for spotting undesigned and accidental beauty in functional elements and byproducts of mass produced consumer goods, outdated design, cultural traditions and even the expression of art in the public domain. His designs are a manifestation of his appreciation and fascination for the unexpected charm he finds in waste materials.
All items are harvested, selected and crafted by hand and consist to the largest possible extent of recycled and waste materials. Koen: "I'd like to inspire people to rediscover the aesthetic value of waste materials and outdated design, to treasure it and wear it with pride"
While Koen is not the first to repurpose graffiti layers, he’s an innovator of the niche, exploring new directions and making a shift in how we perceive the world around us.
Cycling through the Irene tunnel near Delft station, one‘s attention is immediately caught by the colorful exhibition of graffiti covering the tunnel's walls. The bold-colored works flash past the cyclist like cinematic images. And seemingly every week new graffiti paintings appear to refresh the viewers' eyes. This constantly changing 'canvas' is like a free outdoor museum of graffiti art.
The Irene Tunnel is one of two legal, or rather (gedoogzone) 'tolerated' graffiti zones in Delft, created by the local government with the intention that graffiti artists would then have a place to express themselves.
Like to see any more of Koen‘s work or wanna to buy a piece of wearable Dutch nostalgia from his Etsy store? Check out the following link: https://www.etsy.com/nl/shop/KOEMA?ref=shop_sugg
