COLLAGE / TORN POSTERS / POSTER PLAY
Frederik Langhendries tears old posters from forgotten urban places. His main sources are walls in deserted back-streets, abandoned buildings that have been turned into giant illegal billboards, closed shop windows, and advertising kiosks.
“The process of peeling, carving, and stripping into the numerous layers of paper is an exploration into the archaeological depths of urban society. The final art work is an X-ray into a very eclectic body of papers, texts, and uncovered messages that belong to our daily lives.”
Frederik Langhendries started Torn Posters in 2018 as a series of large paper compositions. He tears old posters from forgotten urban places: walls in back-streets, abandoned buildings turned into giant illegal billboards, closed shop windows, and advertising kiosks. Décoller is the French verb meaning to unstick. In opposition to the traditional additive collage technique, Langhendries´s work takes shape when he tears and removes fragments of material, a process similar to carving a sculpture from a block. Langhendries consecutively cuts, strips and peels off the chronological layers of posters to reveal older layers of posters underneath. The artist´s earliest compositions are made with poster material collected in cities like Brussels and Paris. When he moved to the US, he naturally started using posters ripped off in Washington DC, Baltimore, and New York.
“Stripping layers of posters one at the time is very stimulating because of the unexpected. The scaring face, the hilarious message, the original typo, the flashy color - all are just waiting to appear. The poster fragments I tear off are sometimes up to 5 inches thick, the result of 10 years´ worth of layering. During the carving process, I feel like an archeologist excavating a large variety of messages over a long period of time. People putting up posters, whether for commercial or political purposes, do not care about the existing posters they are covering. Their main preoccupation is that the message on their poster is seen by as many people as possible. This contributes to the great diversity and arbitrary connections in the “sociological library” hanging on those walls. The process of peeling, carving, and stripping into the numerous layers of paper is an exploration into the archaeological depths of urban society. The final art work is an X-ray into a very eclectic body of papers, texts, and uncovered messages that belong to our daily lives.”
The art work also refers to the concept of the palimpsest, a word derived from Latin and Ancient Greek and literally meaning "scraped clean and ready to be used again." It was originally a manuscript or piece of writing material on which the original writing has been erased to make room for new writing but of which traces remain. In his work, Langhendries cuts, scratches, and discards parts of the collected material in order to construct something new.
As the witnesses of their times, posters bear the spirit and concerns of society in a certain period. The concept of time passing by is also illustrated by the long process of paper alteration. Not many posters escape the indignities of rain, harsh sunlight, mold, and dust, or human interventions such as removing pieces, tagging and defacing, urinating, and so on. The time factor is also very present in the long and successive progression of posters being overlaid and the reverse process of peeling off. Langhendries´s creative intervention comes at the very end of the alteration process in which many external parties had been involved. Like in many of his art works, Langhendries shows great interest in using discarded everyday materials such as waste paper and cardboard for their beauty and because they are true, honest, and imprinted with humanity.
In order to keep some structure in this paper chaos and message cacophony, Langhendries often uses a pattern of parallel lines that reference the writing lines in a notebook. Paper fragments are cut away following a grid that he defines. The juxtaposition of strips sometimes results in a blurring effect that is increased when overlaying typos melt into each other. The typical dotted patterns of the printed matter contribute to the rhythm of the compositions. Catchy promotional slogans from multinationals directly confront the environmental preoccupations of protesting individuals. These abrupt juxtapositions of individual contexts, cut messages, typos, and colors become essential elements of the esthetics of the final composition. These semantic or visual contrasts sometimes lend a surrealistic character to the art work, creating spontaneous wordplays. In the artist´s compositions, the viewer´s gaze scarcely rests as it wanders through a patchwork of interconnected anecdotal scenes.
After removing sections of posters on billboards, Langhendries keeps the poster material in bags and bundles labelled with the address of the place of collection. This almost scientific approach in the creative process is important to the artist who avoids blending posters from different origins into one single art work. He respects the spirit of the location by not interfering in the chronological, social, linguistic, or cultural context of the found fragments.
The final art pieces made of posters are mounted on a sturdy panel made of aluminum, wood, or a synthetic material.
Frederik Langhendries with torn posters in Manhattan.
Frederik Langhendries rips off old posters in Manhattan.
Frederik Langhendries tears old posters from forgotten urban places: walls in back-streets, abandoned buildings turned into giant illegal billboards, closed shop windows, and advertising kiosks.
Langhendries´s earliest compositions are made with poster material collected in cities like Brussels and Paris. When he moved to the US, he naturally started using posters ripped off in Washington DC, Baltimore, and New York.
“Stripping layers of posters one at the time is very stimulating because of the unexpected. The scaring face, the hilarious message, the original typo, the flashy color - all are just waiting to appear. The poster fragments I tear off are sometimes up to 5 inches thick, the result of 10 years´ worth of layering. During the carving process, I feel like an archeologist excavating a large variety of messages over a long period of time. People putting up posters, whether for commercial or political purposes, do not care about the existing posters they are covering. Their main preoccupation is that the message on their poster is seen by as many people as possible. This contributes to the great diversity and arbitrary connections in the “sociological library” hanging on those walls. The process of peeling, carving, and stripping into the numerous layers of paper is an exploration into the archaeological depths of urban society. The final art work is an X-ray into a very eclectic body of papers, texts, and uncovered messages that belong to our daily lives.”
The final art pieces made of posters are mounted on a sturdy panel made of aluminum, wood, or a synthetic material.
2021 Size: Approx. W 55.5” x H 69.50” x (W 150 cm x H 176 cm) Paper composition made from large fragments of poster layers found on an urban wall in Manhattan (New York). Created by taking away material through cutting and peeling layers from the original fragment after it was removed from the street, the work is a décollage, not a collage. Mounted on board.
2021 Approx. Size: W 55.5” x H 69.50” x (W 150 cm x H 176 cm)Paper composition made from large fragments of poster layers found on an urban wall in Manhattan (New York). Created by taking away material through cutting and peeling layers from the original fragment after it was removed from the street, the work is a décollage, not a collage. Mounted on board.
2020 Size: W 54” x H 69.50” x (W 145 cm x H 176 cm) Paper composition made from large fragments of poster layers found on an urban wall in Paris. Created by taking away material through cutting and peeling layers from the original fragment after it was removed from the street, the work is a décollage, not a collage. Mounted on solid archival panel and backframe.
2019
Size: W 55.5” x H 69.50” x (W 150 cm x H 176 cm)
Paper composition made from one very large fragment of poster layers found on an urban wall in Paris. Created by taking away material through cutting and peeling layers from the original fragment after it was removed from the street, the work is a décollage, not a collage. Mounted on board.
2019
Size: W 55.5” x H 69.50” x (W 150 cm x H 176 cm
)Paper composition made from one very large fragment of poster layers found on an urban wall in Paris. Created by taking away material through cutting and peeling layers from the original fragment after it was removed from the street, the work is a décollage, not a collage. Mounted on board.
2019
Size: W 55.5” x H 69.50” x (W 150 cm x H 176 cm)
Paper composition made from one very large fragment of poster layers found on an urban wall in Paris. Created by taking away material through cutting and peeling layers from the original fragment after it was removed from the street, the work is a décollage, not a collage. Mounted on board.
2019
Size: W 55.5” x H 69.50” x (W 150 cm x H 176 cm)
Paper composition made from one very large fragment of poster layers found on an urban wall in Paris. Created by taking away material through cutting and peeling layers from the original fragment after it was removed from the street, the work is a décollage, not a collage. Mounted on board.
2019
Size: W 55.5” x H 69.50” x (W 150 cm x H 176 cm)
Paper composition made from one very large fragment of poster layers found on an urban wall in Paris. Created by taking away material through cutting and peeling layers from the original fragment after it was removed from the street, the work is a décollage, not a collage. Mounted on board.
2018
Size: W 130” x H 59” (330cm x 150 cm)
Paper composition made from one very large fragment of poster layers found on an urban wall in Paris. Created by taking away material through cutting and peeling layers from the original fragment after it was removed from the street, the work is a décollage, not a collage. Mounted on aluminum board (dibond).
2018
Size: W 130” x H 59” (330cm x 150 cm)
Paper composition made from one very large fragment of poster layers found on an urban wall in Paris. Created by taking away material through cutting and peeling layers from the original fragment after it was removed from the street, the work is a décollage, not a collage. Mounted on aluminum board (dibond).
2018
Size: W 130” x H 59” (330cm x 150 cm)
Paper composition made from one very large fragment of poster layers found on an urban wall in Paris. Created by taking away material through cutting and peeling layers from the original fragment after it was removed from the street, the work is a décollage, not a collage. Mounted on aluminum board (dibond).
2019
SIZE: W 68” x H 59” (W 172 cm x H 150 cm)
Paper composition made from one very large fragment of poster layers found on an urban wall in Paris. Created by taking away material through cutting and peeling layers from the original fragment after it was removed from the street, the work is a décollage, not a collage. Mounted on aluminum board (dibond).
Poster Play is a series of collages made with fragments of poster material collected in Paris and New York.
The collage is mounted on an archival and acid-free premium hardboard panel.
2020
Size: W 16” x H 16” x 1.25” cradle (W 40.6 cm x H 40.6 cm x 3.1 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel
2020
Size: W 16” x H 16” x 1.25” cradle (W 40.6 cm x H 40.6 cm x 3.1 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel
2020
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 2” cradle (L 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 5 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel.
2020
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 2” cradle (L 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 5 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel.
2020
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 2” cradle (W 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 5 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel.
2020
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 2” cradle (W 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 5 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel.
2020
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 2” cradle (W 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 5 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel.
2020
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 2” cradle (W 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 5 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel.
2019
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (W 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in Paris, 18e Arr. Mounted on archival panel.
2019
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (W 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in Paris, 18e Arr. Mounted on archival panel.
2019
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (W 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in Paris, 18e Arr. Mounted on archival panel.
2019
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (W 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in Paris, 18e Arr. Mounted on archival panel.
2020
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (W 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel.
2020
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (W 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel.
2020
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (W 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel.
2020
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (W 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel
2020
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (W 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel
TITLE: Yellow/Black IV, 2020
SIZE: L 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (L 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel
2020
Size: L 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (L 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from lithographs and street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel.
2020
Size: L 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (L 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from lithographs and street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel.
TITLE: “Yellow/Black VI”, 2020
SIZE: L 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (L 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from lithographs and street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel
TITLE: Yellow/Black VI
SIZE: L 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (L 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from lithographs and street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel
2020
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (W 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from lithographs and street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel.
2020
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (W 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from lithographs and street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel
2020
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (W 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel
2020
Size: W 12” x H 12” x 3/4” cradle (W 30.5 cm x H 30.5 cm x 2 cm)
Collage made from street posters found in New York City. Mounted on archival panel.
Poster Play is a series of collages made with fragments of poster material collected in cities like Brussels, Paris, Washington DC, Baltimore, and New York.
The collage is mounted on an archival and acid-free premium hardboard panel.
2019
Size: W 8” x H 8” x 3/4” cradle (W 20 cm x H 20 cm x 2 cm)
Paper collage on archival panel made from street posters found in Paris, 18e Arr.
2019
Size: W 8” x H 8” x 3/4” cradle (W 20 cm x H 20 cm x 2 cm)
Paper collage on archival panel made from street posters found in Paris, 18e Arr.
2019
Size: W 16” x H 16” x 1.25” cradle (W 40,6 cm x H 40,6 cm x 3.2 cm)
Paper collage on archival panel made from street posters found in Washington DC, U street.
2019
Size: W 16” x H 16” x 1.25” cradle (W 40,6 cm x H 40,6 cm x 3.2 cm)
Paper collage on archival panel made from street posters found in Washington DC, U street.
