Artsy.net: Article

Title: How a Dutch Artist Transforms Packing Tape into Cinematic Scenes

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Written by: Anna Furman

Date: 05.05.2015 4:11PM

Location: Munich, Germany

Dutch artist Max Zorn got his start plastering street lamps in Amsterdam with brown packing tape. He found that with the flipping on of a lamp light, his scenes made from tape came to life. Now he works with acrylic glass plates, using a scalpel to carve out intricately detailed forms on each plate’s taped surface. He gravitates toward cinematic scenes with enigmatic characters: a swankily dressed woman exits a building marked “Sugar Club,” two well-muscled boxers swing at one another, a cluster of toothy burlesque dancers bop their feathered selves about on a stage. Recently, the Munich gallery MUCA displayed his glass plate works in the exhibition “Tales of another time.”

Zorn oscillates between additive and reductive processes, suffusing many of his works with a layered, luminous quality (which is amplified by a light placed behind each of the works during their display). In China Town Red (2015), for instance, a James Dean-like character appears at the forefront of a Chinatown scene. The filmy, sepia-toned yellows of his shirt and off-kilter hat are punctuated by a set of hanging lanterns, glowing red in the evening light. The enigmatic quality of the light is striking and uplifts the scene as a whole.

Other pieces—like Beach Day (2014), India (2014), and Coming Home (2013)—read like vacation postcards, while still infused with the same glowy atmosphere. What is represented in each work—the Taj Mahal, a beach house, a solitary man on a boat—hardly makes for original imagery, but perhaps originality is not the point. With each cut in the tape, Zorn finds a new interpretation of a familiar scene—whether it recalls a travel postcard, a work of film noir, or another cultural derivation entirely.

With its innovative use of common materials and richly colored, hazy aesthetic, Zorn’s work recalls that of Vik Muniz, particularly his series “Pictures of Chocolate” from the late 1990s. While Muniz is direct in citing where his images originated (many sources are referenced in the works’ titles), Zorn combines divergent visual references into the same composite scene, giving them his own original names.

The value of Zorn’s work is inherent in his process; there is an incredible amount of skill involved in elevating a common material like packing tape to a level of creative value, and Zorn proves to be quite successful at this.

Written by: Anna Furman

Exhibition Details: “Tales of Another Time – Tape Art by Max Zorn” is on view at MUCA, Munich, Mar. 6 – Apr. 18, 2015.

The post Artsy article about Max Zorn’s tape art in Muenchen appeared first on Tape Art by Max Zorn a street artist from Amsterdam, creating art with tape to beautify street lamps.

This series came from chasing those fleeting glimpses of Americana—hooked on certain scenes that linger in your mind. It’s the glow of a neon sign above an all-night café, the silhouette of a woman in pearls lost in thought. There’s that couple on a wet New York street, huddled close, their world shrinking to just the two of them amid the noise and lights. I kept chasing those moments that feel like they belong to a half-forgotten film—something caught between nostalgia and reality, a glimpse through a fogged-up window. Just enough light and shadow to make you wonder what happens next.

Interested in buying an artwork? Here is how it works:

Interested in buying an artwork? Here is how it works:

1. Send an email to buy@maxzorn.com with a short sales inquiry. Please include the artwork you are interested in, as well as your location. Either I or my manager Audrey Sykes will get back to you once the Special Sale is closed.  Please be patient, we usually get hundreds of emails and it will take a while to sort them. 
2. Increase your chances: First come first serve. The faster you write us the higher your chances are to own an artwork. This special opens on Sunday, December 1^st  for 24 hours if not sold out earlier. 
   • USA: noon (Eastern Standard Time)
   • Europe: 6 pm (Central European Standard time)
3. Acted too fast? Don’t worry. We read all emails and get back to you within a weeks time. Then we will clarify all details, and we seal the deal only when everything looks good on both sides. 
4. Right to withdrawal: Above all I want you to be happy with your artwork. If you don’t like the piece you can simply send it back within 14 days once you received it. All money will be fully refunded.
5. More questions? Check out the FAQs below or write me to buy@maxzorn.com

Title:              Tremble (you can customize a name or message to the marquees, and licence plate of the car)
Price:             12.500 USD   —   11.800 Euros 
Size:               93 x 48 inch   —   160 x 122 cm
Material:    brown and colored packing tape
Series:          6 similar originals  (explained in the FAQ’s below)
Frame:         Framed in 2 x LED-lit light box – ready to hang (FAQ’s below)

Title:              Library of Dreams 
Price:             6.500 USD   —   6.150 Euro
Size:               34 x 48 inch   —   87 x 122 cm
Material:    brown and colored packing tape
Series:          11 similar originals  (explained in the FAQ’s below)
Frame:         Framed in LED-lit light box – ready to hang (FAQ’s below)

Title:              Americana
Price:             6.500 USD   —   6.150 Euro
Size:               32 x 48 inch   —   80 x 122 cm
Material:    brown and colored packing tape
Series:          15 similar originals  (explained in the FAQ’s below)
Frame:         Framed in LED-lit light frame – ready to hang (FAQ’s below)

Title:              Nightcall
Price:             1500 USD   —   1420 Euro
Size:               19 x 12 inch   —   35  x 50 cm
Material:    brown and colored packing tape
Series:          25 similar originals  (explained in the FAQ’s below)
Frame:         Framed in LED-lit light box – ready to hang (FAQ’s below)
Frame option II:     Alternatively framed in original Coca Cola crate – LED lit and ready to hang

Title:              Wings
Price:             500 USD   — 480 Euro
Size:               8 x 7 inch   —   20  x 18 cm
Material:    brown and colored packing tape
Series:          25 similar originals  (explained in the FAQ’s below)
Frame:         Framed in LED-lit light original cigar box  (FAQ’s below)

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are some artworks reserved before the sale starts?

Newsletter subscribers got a notice ahead of the official opening time and have the right to reserve their favorite artwork. Feel welcome to subscribe yourself here:

What is a special sale?

I’m aware that prices for my artworks have been rising once they become public. My success as an artist wouldn’t be possible though without the ongoing interest and support of a global community that not necessarily has the deep pockets for art as collectors do. Therefore I traditionally offer selected new works or special editions for a short period exclusively on my website and below their usual price range.

These offers are limited to two works per household, work on a first-come-first-serve basis and are only up until the special sale is sold out and/or closed.

What is a series?

Repeating a theme allows me to work faster and therefore offer original artworks more affordably compared to a one-time-only motif.
Each single artwork is of course an original made from scratch, unique and signed. Although I try to have the artworks look alike, each one has its own character and differs slightly from the others. See it like the repeating performance of a Broadway play: although it follows the same script each night has a different dynamic.

Why is there a waiting list?

When an artwork comes in a series it doesn’t mean I have already created all versions of it. With popular editions it takes me some time to follow up on the demand.

Are these works going to last?

Yes, the works are going to last for decades to come. When finished, all works are sealed airtight to prevent humidity and air to dry out the adhesive. We also add an additional UV-resistant acrylic glass that not only protects the artwork from fading due to sunlight, but also encases the layers of tape between the two pieces of acrylic glass. 

What about the light boxes?

Light is what brings tape art to life. Like the effect of stained glass windows, light filters through the many layers of tape, creating a visual image. In order to display the works best indoor we build customized light boxes which support the motifs with warm, low temperature light, individually adjusted to the specific artwork. Due to the long lifetime and low temperature of LED light you may keep the light on permanently. 

Watch the video for some visuals on the framing and installation process:

What if the light goes off one day?

Adapters can die after a few years but the LED light is incredibly durable. The LED lights I use have an average life expectancy of 50.000 hours. In case they fail nonetheless just contact us at info@maxzorn.com and we’ll send you a new adapter for free, or provide you with all instructions to replace the LED-strip. It’s a module system that allows exchanging parts relatively easily.

Is there a battery to charge the lightbox?

All light boxes have to be connected to the electric grid. An adapter/charger (that matches your region) and an extension cord are naturally included in your purchase. Experiments with batteries weren’t fruitful yet, simply because the costs of the frame would increase unreasonably.  Though somewhat annoying there are ways to hide the thin cable that connects lightbox and plug. During exhibitions e.g. we hide cables simply by taping them to the wall and painting the tape over with wall color.

How do I pay for an artwork?

Simply by bank transfer, credit card or Paypal. Payments are only due once we walked through all questions you might have and you give the green light for a purchase. 

Can I pay in installments?

We offer payments in installments, usually starting with a down-payment of 20 percent. The outstanding amount can be split into monthly installments of your choice.

The post Special Sale 2024 appeared first on Tape Art by Max Zorn a street artist from Amsterdam, creating art with tape to beautify street lamps.

1. Send an email to buy@maxzorn.com with a short sales inquiry. Please include the artwork you are interested in, as well as your location. Either I or my manager Audrey Sykes will get back to you once the Special Sale is closed.  Please be patient, we usually get hundreds of emails and it will take a while to sort them. 
2. Increase your chances: First come first serve. The faster you write us the higher your chances are to own an artwork. This special starts on Sunday, December 1st and is open for 24 hours if not sold out earlier.
   • USA: 3 pm (Eastern Standard Time)
   • Europe: 9 pm (Central European Standard time)
3. Acted too fast? Don’t worry. We read all emails and get back to you at the end of the sale. We clarify all details, and we seal the deal only when everything looks good on both sides.
4. Right to withdrawal: Above all I want you to be happy with your artwork. If you don’t like the piece you can simply send it back within 14 days. All money will be fully refunded.
5. More questions? Check out the FAQs below or write me to buy@maxzorn.com

The post Winter Sale 2024 – Exclusive Preview appeared first on Tape Art by Max Zorn a street artist from Amsterdam, creating art with tape to beautify street lamps.

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This is a motif I got inspired by when I was walking around Hong Kongs Wan Chai district.

[See image gallery at www.maxzorn.com]

Name: Hong Kong Red

Size: 70 x 50 cm

Date: 2012

Status: Sold

The post New Tape – Hong Kong Red appeared first on Tape Art by Max Zorn a street artist from Amsterdam, creating art with tape to beautify street lamps.

I’ll admit that I was nervous walking to the Hong Kong Art Fair (HKART). It was a ten-minute walk through the Wan Chai District, passing by corner stores, small restaurants and rich car dealerships. Then I reached the imposing building stretching out into Hong Kong´s glistening neon harbor.

HKART was even more impressive: a five-day exhibition with 80,000 visitors and about 250 selected galleries… these were quite some numbers. Especially for someone who likes to sneak around at night and hang up his tape art with a small group of friends.

It’s strange to attend such an event as something like an attraction, to get a pass and be personally guided through a giant building. When I entered the art hall it smelled like fresh wood, oil paints and plastic wrap. I bumped into people I only read about in fine art magazines, and everywhere I heard the sound of power drills, hammers, workers yelling and gallery owners preparing for the big show.

These impressive environment also came with the bitter smack of commerce: Art behind walls, protected by guards, tamed, framed and made pretty. And there would be moments in the following days when I felt like a domesticated animal, too, degraded to an attraction in a zoo… an artist brought in from the streets to be watched and to be touched.

But looking back I like to think that we all could change some children´s life for the better with the money raised. And I hope there were kids at the art fair who could experience that art is something you can get close to, touch, smell and check out for yourself… and not only as kids dragged around and forced to stare at enclosed paintings.

Sovereign Art Foundation had come up with the idea to lay out a couple of hundred pens in their booth for any child wanting to sketch on the floor, the walls, and – occasionally – also my pants. What followed was a five day let´s-paint-the-shit-out-of-whatever-is-in-reach marathon, and within hours the entire stand looked like battle grounds for a graffiti war.
[See image gallery at www.maxzorn.com]

It was fantastic to be in the middle of this, to work on my light box while kids painted around me. Many of them also helped me peel and stick pieces of tape, unafraid of making mistakes or bad style or not following instructions. And thus, amidst the chic art world around then, they brought a good piece of welcomed anarchy.

The post Let´s paint the shit out of it – Hong Kong trip Part II appeared first on Tape Art by Max Zorn a street artist from Amsterdam, creating art with tape to beautify street lamps.

I winced at the thud when the trunk top hit my bag hard. It was already hanging halfway out the trunk of our red Hong Kong taxi, tied only by a single elastic strap.
With every bump in the road I thought of the fragile light box and the Plexiglas sheets I had loosely stowed in that bag. It was crucial equipment for creating a large scale tape artwork at the Hong Kong Art Fair that I had been invited to by The Sovereign Art Foundation.

Behind the window beginnings of the Hong Kong harbor were gliding past us, with its rusty loading cranes and stacks of containers. Behind it were housing blocks and groups of high-rise skyscrapers reaching into the metallic sky.

It was a cloudy afternoon, the air was thick and stifling with humidity. Huge cargo ships ploughed through the grey waters, and far in the distance behind wavy green hills the silhouette of the Hong Kong arose from the mist.

(Hong Kong Bay – Tape on acrylic glass – 200 x 70 cm – 2012 – Max Zorn)

Another road bump shook the cab.
“Chill out, it will survive.” Audrey turned to me when I again peered nervously through the rear window to see if my bag was still in the trunk.
Audrey is my sister-in-arms, the one with a telephone number and an official address. She knows what to wear and what say at a business meeting, and she is the kind of person you want to have around when the taxi driver is lost in Hong Kong, the credit card fails and half of the luggage is lost.

The pieces of memory I have of my first hours in town feel like a wildly blended cocktail of impressions. Huge advertising screens, sweat, damp, colors and foreign smell — it all moved too fast into my slow and jetlagged senses. But it left the good feeling the the next days would have a lot of work, madness and funky encounters in store.
For tonight, the plan was just to get wasted and get lost in Hong Kong. [See image gallery at www.maxzorn.com]

We had grabbed a couple of cold beers at one of the countless 7/11 corner stores and waited for one of the boats ferrying across the Hong Kong Bay. Behind me I could feel the vibrantly humming, shimmering city, building itself to the waterfront like a herd of giant animals pushing forward. A Chinese junk boat with dark red sails silently drifted along the neon colored water.

“Fucking beautiful,” I said.
“Yeah, man.” Audrey opened another beer, “It´s Hong Kong… get use to it.”

————————————————————————————————————-

The post It´s Hong Kong… get used to it – Hong Kong trip Part I appeared first on Tape Art by Max Zorn a street artist from Amsterdam, creating art with tape to beautify street lamps.

On a lousy grey day in March 1989, and after six month of investigation, the British police eventually decided to launch their well-prepared strike against Bristol’s graffiti scene. What followed went down in history as Operation Anderson, the largest ever operation carried out against the spray scene. During those following days the cops would raid dozen of homes, carry off countless duffle bags stuffed with markers, sketch books and spray cans. A few weeks later 72 graffiti artists faced series charges of criminal damage up to  250.000 pounds.

In the middle of it all there was one sprayer the police suspected to have a leading role in Bristol street art: Tom Bingle. Better known as Inkie, he was a legend already and Banksy´s brother in arms, placing second in the 1989 World Street Art Championships, and one of the most notorious street artists in Britain.

And I was going to meet him tonight before our exhibition tomorrow. Fuck yes.

Outside Amsterdam’s Go Gallery, heavy rain poured on houseboats lingering lazily alongside the canal. It was a late summer evening in Amsterdam, and the gallery had taken good care of us: a fridge full of beer (or used to be), Indonesian food, full bottles of Jameson. It was the night before our group opening with Morcky, SjocoSjon, Inkie, Otto Schade, and myself, all selected by Go Gallery and Amsterdam Street Art. A great assembly of cool art inside and on the streets. Here is my my contribution to this colletion: [See image gallery at www.maxzorn.com]

Inkie was still stuck at the airport by the time I felt the whiskey tingling behind my forehead. Time flew as the beer fridge emptied, but I didn’t want to leave without meeting him. So, I was whisky drunk by the time a tall English guy rushed into the gallery, holding canvasses over his head and then shaking rain water from his shoes. There he was.

More than 20 years after Operation Anderson, I guess Inkie stays out of trouble now. In fact, the city of Bristol is proud to have him coordinate the “See No Evil” street art festival, and if he’s not there he’s jetting around the globe for well-respected street art events. But he still has a spark in his eyes that let you believe in all the stories and rumors that surround him.

Inkie put his artwork into a corner, grabbed a beer and gave a broad smile. From the first moment on he was great company, full of stories and laughs and it seemed there was nothing that could unsettle the guy. Still, you’d probably want him on your side at a bar fight.

I watched, nervously, as he inspected my tapes. He shook his head and turned to me.

“That’s wicked man”, he said. It was the perfect interlude for what was to come.

Read the next episode on Friday here: A police squat for two girls – Meeting the legends, part II

Referrals:
Exhibition until Sept. 30th
at Go Gallery, Prinsengracht 64, Amsterdam />

My Own street art project: Stick Together

More about Amsterdam´s street art: www.amsterdamstreetart.com

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