Décor (P, TG-AIH, TAHoS AE, PGaA ofUS, TF-OtHoJA, S:FaM) contains a collection of recent collages assembled from found book pages, in which the artists specifically seeks a relationship between the abstract and the figurative, and thereby creating new narratives.
The source material is derived from vintage books, in which not only subject and size play a role, but also the printing technique and colour. These books are stripped from their covers and subject to observant deconstruction. What remains are loose pages and spreads that are processed, with their actual compositions as a coincidental starting point. The final composition leads to transformed subjects as if it were a fictional archive from the future. With just the abbreviations of the titles as a reference to the used books.
In his collages Reith creates serene worlds where abandoned shelters and tranquil sculptures present a modern history, where black and white landscapes are disrupted by bold geometric constructions. He tries to resist technology in favour of physical and craft-based media.
Together with Shelter Press, Reith selected 18 collages from different series which were divided onto 24 pages, in which the works were reorganised and emerged as new compositions.
Louis Reith: With an interest in printed matter, book design and craftsmanship artist Louis Reith creates drawings, collages, paintings and installations. The found material is always chosen by personal interest into form, theme and balance, which are then translated into new compositions. These compositions are made intuitively and refined consciously, playing with the illusion of mechanical versus handmade. Reith graduated from the AKI Academy for Arts and Design, Enschede in 2010 and lives in Amsterdam. He exhibits his work through international solo and group exhibitions. Besides his studio practise he also runs a small publishing house called Jordskred and he co-organises the annual Grafixx festival in Antwerp, Belgium.
