Marc Mendelson
Marc Mendelson
The artist was a contemporary and kindred spirit of Gaston Bertrand, Anne Bonnet and Louis Van Lint. In 1945, he co-founded Jeune Peinture Belge, and from 1951 onwards he taught in the screen-printing department at La Cambre. In 1952, he was also involved in the creation of the Brussels group Espace. In Belgium, he introduced the technique of wall decorations created using industrial methods based on synthetic paints, applied with a spray gun.
The frieze he created in 1953 in the auditorium of the Kursaal is likely the first large-scale painting in Belgium produced in this way. The frieze in Ostend has a remarkable relationship with the overall concept of the site. In fact, parallel to the view towards the sea, the artist created a painted area divided into three colour tones, abstractly echoing the movement of the waves, making it visible from the main hall.
The large “beach screens”, which harmoniously form the back of the auditorium balcony, also create a unique interaction with the architecture when viewed from the circulation area, together with the ceiling ribs designed by Stynen in the same direction, marking the end of the balcony shell. Execution photographs show that the painting was indeed applied using a spray gun. Research has also revealed that the pattern was first applied to the wall using so-called sponge templates.
