Magdeleen van Eersel
Visual Artist
Blocks of Coloured Wax
A site adaptive installation
This installation changes shape every time it is exhibited, depending on the shape and measurements of the given space.
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The birth of "Blocks of Coloured Wax" as an art piece, is a case of serendipity. For years I've been fascinated by candle wax and its translucency. So I started collecting the leftovers of burnt candles, and sorting them by colour. Looking for a more efficient shape to stack my stock of wax, I melted the wax and poured it into plastic soup bowls.
So now I had a collection of blocks. One day, I placed some of these blocks in a square on the floor, and then I knew I had discovered something. Something playful and colourful and rhythmical. And that's all. It's the beauty of simplicity. Plus it will adapt to any surroundings, which gives great freedom to experiment and play with how to display them.
So far, these Blocks Of Coloured Wax were shown in Middelburg, Vlissingen, Kattendijke, and once more, Middelburg. They made their debut in Middelburg, at the artists' initiative Mon Capitaine, in 2012. A leporello-print with photos of fifteen individual blocks was made for this show.
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Right below as shown for the first time, in Mon Capitaine, Middelburg, The Netherlands, 2012
Size of one individual block: 5 cm (h) x 15 cm (diameter)
Size of installation: 2 x 6 x 0.2 m
Materials: Wax; pigments; plexiglass
One block of coloured wax - 2012
15 x 15 x 10 cm
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Next, the Blocks Of Coloured Wax were shown in De Lasloods (The Welding Factory) - a derelict building which was a great place for a group exhibition by local artists. This time, the Blocks Of Coloured Wax were shown as a table piece. I held on to the straight lines of the first installation. Vlissingen, 2015. Size of table: 2.5 x 1 m.
Another step: stacking the Blocks. Another serendipitous discovery. I was putting them on the table to see how many there were of each colour. And then I noticed that stacking them makes it look like a complex board game. So for this show, I kept it this way.
Kattendijke, The Netherlands, 2017. Size of table: 2,20 x 1,0 m.
Another way to show them: in a glass display cabinet. A bit like archeological finds.
Size of the cabinet: 2 x 1 x 0,4 m. Middelburg, The Netherlands, 2017.
