On the border or just across the boundary of the comprehension of fairy tales, reading this book is almost hallucinant. Wikipedia defines fairy tales as a type of short story that typically features folkloric fantasy characters, such as dwarves, elves, fairies, giants, gnomes, goblins, mermaids, trolls, or witches, and usually magic or enchantments… The term is mainly used for stories with origins in European tradition and, at least in recent centuries, mostly relates to children's literature.
Then why did Studio Renate Boere choose for this reference to fairy tales? Van der Haaks work itself contains a lot of references to the old traditions of European history. Her rich patterns are used in the book to create virtual rooms. They resemble beautiful, enchanted palace halls in which you can wander for hours and let your imagination run free.
Designed with the original works by Christie van der Haak, the highly patterned pages as virtual rooms show new spatial views. The texts are to find between these spreads with captures like Big Heart and Open Mind, the Introduction Fairy Tales, Welcome to the Hall of Mirrors and the Layers of the Veils explaining the vision and works by Van der Haak. In New Leiden Cloth, Nicole Roepers sketches the new designs made on commission and how two series of Leiden cloth inspired by the museum’s collection of fabric samples were manufactured and presented during WoolWeek 2014. In the Essay There is a Soul in Everything, Philip Peters depicts the show in the Gemeentemuseum The Hague where Van der Haak made a large installation in 2004 with white delftware from the collection. As the author says so distinctively: “There are no geometrical patterns here, the whole work consisted of objects with frequently fanciful, multicolored patterns ignoring any taboo…” With smaller photos the reader can see the installations and furniture and the glass works Octopuses.
In the Index all individual works can be seen used on the previous designed pages from oil paintings and a fountain to woven Jacquard patterns, tapestry, carpets and furniture fabrics, ceramic plates, collection upholstery, wall covering and drapery, table cloths, dishcloths and pillow covers, a coloring book and the series of glass sculptures. All with great photos mostly in their original settings.
As a pattern addict I loved to read and look into the book. So well-printed on the best paper and so skillfully processed and bound, this book will be a jewel on your table! I recommend this treasure warmly to students and teachers alike, and to collectors and commissioners as presentation and quality are key!
Angela van der Burght
Agenda exposition Gemeentemuseum Den Haag>
Article> Christie van der Haak ontvangt Ouborg Prijs 2015>
Agenda exposition Stedelijk Museum Schiedam>
