MANGOLD AND PARSLEY

Hand-painted mural, gesso and egg tempera, private residence, Cologne, 2006

Hand-painted grisaille wallpapers in the 18th century were decorated with temple ruins and classical trophies, conjuring up dreams of an idealized ancient past. Rendered on this modern wall, in the same classical shades of grey and white, are mangold, parsley and nettles. These humble plants don’t stir dreams of a romantic past, but rouse memories of past sensations: the dusky taste of parsley, the rich green of mangold leaves and the sting of nettles.