CALLE HENZEL, Calvin Lake (88), 2023

CALLE HENZEL, Calvin Lake (88), 2023
Edition of 99 + 1 AP
Numbered
Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity
Hand knotted rug
Wool & Silk
High / Low Cut

This piece is part of La Bocca Métallique by Calle Henzel, a collection that explores the transformation of textile surfaces through processes of pressure, erosion, and compression. Rather than relying on strict geometric composition, the works emerge from layered textures and irregular contours that evoke weathered metal, fractured minerals, and surfaces shaped by time.

Across the series, tonal fields appear worn, folded, or partially dissolved, creating compositions that feel gradually formed rather than precisely constructed. Subtle shifts in tone, density, and surface depth suggest oxidation, sedimentation, and the slow accumulation of material layers. The surfaces often appear as though they have been exposed to external forces — compressed, fractured, or eroded — giving the compositions a quiet sense of physical transformation.

Several works adopt irregular silhouettes, moving away from conventional rug formats and instead taking on contours that resemble eroded fragments or mineral slabs. These forms introduce a sculptural presence within the interior, allowing the pieces to occupy space with a quiet physical weight rather than a purely graphic expression. The contours also connect to Henzel’s long-standing exploration of free-form rug compositions developed through his Frozen Cut methodology, where environmental forces such as erosion, thawing snow, and seasonal shifts informed the development of irregular textile boundaries.

Within the collection, different surface languages emerge. Some designs develop fluid, almost molten compositions where darker tonal flows move through lighter fields, recalling the movement of liquid metal or mineral veins within stone. Others reveal softer, more atmospheric surfaces, where faded markings, washed tones, and irregular bleaching effects introduce a painterly quality reminiscent of aged plaster, weathered walls, or partially erased images.

Material nuance plays a central role throughout the collection. Mineral-like neutrals form the foundation of the surfaces, while strands of silk introduce a subtle silver luminosity that moves across the textile as light changes. These reflective elements create moments of metallic shimmer within otherwise matte fields, reinforcing the collection’s dialogue with oxidized metals and mineral surfaces. Variations in pile height and density further animate the surface, producing textures that shift gently with viewing distance.

Through this emphasis on material transformation and tactile depth, La Bocca Métallique continues Henzel’s investigation into how textile surfaces can evoke the physical language of matter itself — positioning the rug somewhere between artifact, landscape, and spatial object within an interior.

Image: Portrait of Calle Henzel. Courtesy the artist.