Letter to the King

Dear Majesty,

Before you lies the catalogue of the Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije Schilderkunst 2014.I would like to provide you with background information on the graphic design of the catalogue.

During my first tour of the Royal Palace Amsterdam, I was surprised by the enormous wealth of stories that are told through the permanent collection of visual arts in the palace. Not only the 17th century masters are represented in large numbers, but also contemporary artists, such as Ria van Eyk, designer of the beautiful tapestry. Also striking is the contemporary design of the fabric for the walls of the palace.

The challenge I set myself as a graphic designer for this assignment is to tell a similar story to the one told by the Royal Palace, but specifically for the Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije Schilderkunst.

Crowning

For the campaign calling for participation in the Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije Schilderkunst, I designed a crown consisting of hundreds of brushes (the most important tool of a painter). By standing ‘under’ the crown and taking a selfie, you can ‘crown’ yourself as a painter. I also applied this idea to the front of the catalogue. By removing the banderole (belly band/ribbon) you reveal the winners of the prize. The names are under the crown. Crowned winner of the Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije Schilderkunst 2014.

Catalogue shape

Due to the complex binding of this catalogue, where each page is slightly larger than the previous page (2mm), a point is created on the right side that looks like the end of a brush. You can now, so to speak, start painting with the brush (the catalogue).

Royal satin

This is expressed in the paper, which feels like precious satin. A reference to the upholstered walls of the Palace.

I worked on this assignment with great pleasure. Many thanks for that.

Yours faithfully,

Renate Boere

Graphic designer and teacher at the Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam.