Tapijtontwerp motief "Holland" (ontwerp) 1928

Curator: At the Rijksmuseum, we have before us Leo Gestel’s 1928 “Tapijtontwerp motief ‘Holland’ (ontwerp)” – a carpet design employing mixed media. Editor: The carpet practically vibrates with concealed activity; like a hidden world of symbols that tickles the subconscious. The color scheme evokes antique maps, too—aged but full of wonder. Curator: Precisely. Observe how Gestel renders quintessential Dutch imagery: windmills, figures in traditional dress, and horses all abstracted into geometric forms. It’s as if he’s distilled the very essence of “Holland” into a visual code. Editor: The repetitive elements have me thinking about craft production. Were carpets like these made by individual artisans, by workshops, or larger textile firms? The act of creating the design feels divorced from its actual manufacture...almost a luxury item. Curator: A pertinent consideration! During this period, Art Deco ideals were mingling with emerging industrial processes. Gestel’s design, initially rendered with mixed media on paper, signifies how easily art becomes interwoven with patterns of industrial labor. He certainly considered the commodification of culture... Editor: Right. But also, consider this work not merely for any 'intrinsic' quality, but its very existence as something that’s ready to be transferred into a commercial product. Curator: Intriguing. How might the function as decor and potential commodification inform one’s impression? Editor: Mass-produced carpets become integral to countless lives. They are trod upon; bearing all kinds of marks; bearing narratives, not simply decorative but lived-with... Curator: Well, I must admit you have widened my view: shifting beyond that flat aesthetic plane, I find I’m compelled to imagine lives entangled with this pattern. Editor: Likewise, thinking through Gestel’s considerations, I’ve arrived at a newly enriched experience. Thanks!