De Keyser’s Stockings
Stockings in the work of Raoul De Keyser 1966-76
18.01 – 15.02.2019
Between 1966 and 1976, Raoul De Keyser produced about thirty works in which a sock pops up. This simple and jolly motif is pictured in paintings and drawings, developed in silk-screen prints, water colours and a litho, its shape ranging from soccer socks to cycling socks, next to long blue socks on a clothes line and a minimal little soccer sock in a wide white colourfield. All of these paintings and paper works have now been collected into a publication for the very first time, in conjunction with related documents from the artist’s personal archive, such as studio pictures, notes made by the artist and photographs of soccer socks. In addition to reproductions of the paintings by Hilde D’haeyere, the book also contains texts by Roland Jooris, Steven Jacobs and Paul Demets, putting the sock motif in an art-historical and poetic perspective.
De Keyser’s stockings will fill the convent corridor from 18 January until 15 February. The publication will be presented on Thursday 17 January. Especially for this occasion, Bert Huyghe will bring his essay ‘The Soccer Player — (Ode to De Keyser)’ at 19h30, followed by a recital by Paul Demets of the four new poems that he wrote for the book and for Raoul. Paul Robbrecht designed a scenography, custom-made for the book and the corridor. In addition, the Kunstenbibliotheek will show a selection of books from the collection.
Opening
Thursday 17.01.2019, 7pm
Exhibition
18.01 – 15.02.2019
The publication is sold out.
De Keyser’s Stockings; texts Roland Jooris, Steven Jacobs and Paul Demets; compiled by Hilde D’haeyere and Liene Aerts; graphic design Kahil Janssens; 20 × 27 cm, 64 pages, 38 illustrations, edition of 400, publisher BOEKS, 2019, ISBN 9789491564147
Exhibition views © Raf Michiels
“Het niets, aangenaam gevuld met weinig (1971) is a large, heavy painting showing one minimal soccer sock in the middle and around it the relatively quite wide white colour field. The soccer sock has a titillating effect here, in relation to the large dimensions and the edges, at equal distance at any given point. It measures, so to speak, the surface of the painting and determines its density. By expressly highlighting the thing, surrounded only by the almost imperceptibly emotionally applied white, De Keyser isolates the soccer sock from its context, liberates it from any traditional-compositional concern and relates it only to the dimensions of the painting. On the other hand, we notice that the sock is mainly present as a colour thing, that is to say, its shape is determined by the colour and no longer by the clear black border around it.”
Source: Roland Jooris, Raoul De Keyser: het samengaan van gegeven en schilderij (Visueel2) (Tielt: Veys, 1972), p. 48. Kunstenbibliotheek, Gent
De Keyser’s Stockings
Stockings in the work of Raoul De Keyser 1966-76
18.01 – 15.02.2019
Between 1966 and 1976, Raoul De Keyser produced about thirty works in which a sock pops up. This simple and jolly motif is pictured in paintings and drawings, developed in silk-screen prints, water colours and a litho, its shape ranging from soccer socks to cycling socks, next to long blue socks on a clothes line and a minimal little soccer sock in a wide white colourfield. All of these paintings and paper works have now been collected into a publication for the very first time, in conjunction with related documents from the artist’s personal archive, such as studio pictures, notes made by the artist and photographs of soccer socks. In addition to reproductions of the paintings by Hilde D’haeyere, the book also contains texts by Roland Jooris, Steven Jacobs and Paul Demets, putting the sock motif in an art-historical and poetic perspective.
De Keyser’s stockings will fill the convent corridor from 18 January until 15 February. The publication will be presented on Thursday 17 January. Especially for this occasion, Bert Huyghe will bring his essay ‘The Soccer Player — (Ode to De Keyser)’ at 19h30, followed by a recital by Paul Demets of the four new poems that he wrote for the book and for Raoul. Paul Robbrecht designed a scenography, custom-made for the book and the corridor. In addition, the Kunstenbibliotheek will show a selection of books from the collection.
Opening
Thursday 17.01.2019, 7pm
Exhibition
18.01 – 15.02.2019
The publication is sold out.
De Keyser’s Stockings; texts Roland Jooris, Steven Jacobs and Paul Demets; compiled by Hilde D’haeyere and Liene Aerts; graphic design Kahil Janssens; 20 × 27 cm, 64 pages, 38 illustrations, edition of 400, publisher BOEKS, 2019, ISBN 9789491564147
Exhibition views © Raf Michiels
“Het niets, aangenaam gevuld met weinig (1971) is a large, heavy painting showing one minimal soccer sock in the middle and around it the relatively quite wide white colour field. The soccer sock has a titillating effect here, in relation to the large dimensions and the edges, at equal distance at any given point. It measures, so to speak, the surface of the painting and determines its density. By expressly highlighting the thing, surrounded only by the almost imperceptibly emotionally applied white, De Keyser isolates the soccer sock from its context, liberates it from any traditional-compositional concern and relates it only to the dimensions of the painting. On the other hand, we notice that the sock is mainly present as a colour thing, that is to say, its shape is determined by the colour and no longer by the clear black border around it.”
Source: Roland Jooris, Raoul De Keyser: het samengaan van gegeven en schilderij (Visueel2) (Tielt: Veys, 1972), p. 48. Kunstenbibliotheek, Gent
