History



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Tapestry is a decorative textures of wool or silk, hand crafted used especially as decoration on house walls or furniture. In other words, tapestry is a textile surface built with a decorative purpose and utilitarian functions. Compared with upholstery, which is a simple textile work, with purpose of covering furniture pieces, tapestry is a work of art.

Tapestry is well know from Antiquity mostly represented by Chinese silk texture (T’ang dynasty textures, Egypt and antic Greek textures comes as a prove). Tapestry flourished in civilizations greatest moments, through out the years and they reflected civilization’s aesthetics inclinations.

In the Middle Ages, tapestry had a purely utilitarian function. Tapestries were originally designed to protect medieval rooms from damp and cold weather or to cover austere walls of big castles or to insulate big rooms in more comfortable quarters. In these early tapestries, isolated figures or compact groups stood out against a background that was generally plain or embellished with plants motifs or flowers, those are called « mille fleurs »

Tapestry became beside painting, sculpture and architectures one of the major visual art forms. . By 1500, Flanders, especially Brussels and Bruges, had become the chief places of production.

In 1663, during the lavish reign of Louis XIV, Les Gobelins factory was founded in Paris employing over 800 artisans in the production of tapestries for the royal court. Other European countries followed, opening factories on behalf of their rulers. Starting with the second half of last century, new tapestry is evolving called “goblen”.

Goblen tapestry thematic is practically unlimited and can vary on dimensions, technical ability and tapestry final destination. Each new product is in fact unique and brings to life a small part of it’s creator fantasy. Once available only for its manufacturer, now they are available for everyone.

In 1981 I saw for the first time a so called “gobelin “, to a friend who obtained the pattern from Germany. It was calling “Sunset”, having 7 colors which have fascinated me.

I asked the pattern and I sewed it, although I didn’t know many things about gobelins sewing technique. Another friend of mine had a book that contained gobelins diagrams for some simple patterns, which had no more than 10 colors, and also black & white patterns which you can see in the Initiate section. For these patterns I used 2 threads from mouline in 6 threads.

Then they appeared patterns made by specialized companies, who contained both, the diagrams as well as the needed threads and canvas for sewing.

I sewed more than 150 patterns that I bought in stores or direct from producer. In many of these patterns I did not liked the combination of colors, so I started to replace them with other colors that it seemed much more appropriate. So I changed in some patterns more than 90 % of colors.

This was highly appreciated by some well-known art critics who visited and varnished my first exhibitions and they recommended me to use this talent in the development of personal models.

Now I use a computer program that allows me to realize models selected by me (especially after the famous paintings, and not only), models that can be seen in section Unique.

I think that only these models can be considered real gobelins (or would be what I understand by gobelins), they have 90 colors above , and being downright remarkable, many of those who have seen them, thought they are photos and they asked me to let themselves to touch the gobelin in order to satisfy that they are actually sewn.