Ton Of Holland

This publication is a unique portrayal of the work of this contemporary artist. Ton of Holland employs two techniques in his work: first he paints on prepared linen, and then he creates the embroidery, applying flat stitch and sometimes adding pearls as a decorative element. These works are consciously genred as paintings rather than tapestries because the artist literally 'paints' with his needle and thread on prepared painter's linen instead of embroidery canvas. This unique form of artistry renders his work highly exceptional within the international art world. Besides faturing reproductions of the work, the book also gives readers a window into the world of the artist's thoughts and feelings. Ton of Holland wants to share the way in which the creative process evolves, from both a mental and technical standpoint. Sketches, ideas, inspirational sources, reverse sides of paintings, and magnificant details of the work are all used as aids to help readers gain more insight. They are not intended to explain everything, however, as there should still be enough left to the imagination. This book is particularly unique in terms of design, owing to the fact that the artist defined the overall visual aesthetics of the book in consultation with designer Dennis Koot. The two essays in the book, which are designed as a kind of illuminated news trailer, provide an art historical vision of the work and a socio-cultural vision, particularly expanding on the significance and position of the work within the homosexual subculture.