who are you?
My name is Mark Flipse and I live in Leiden with my wife Marianne and two daughters Simone and Tess. And not to forget, our four year old labrador, Otis.
where do you come from/ where were you born??
I was born in Meliskerke, a small village near Middelburg.
what do you make, and how do you make it?
I make WASTE LAMPS. That is, I make lighting based on material that other people no longer need or want. These are objects such as thermos flasks, jerry cans, old heaters, broken televisions…..and so on.
Then I also make lamps from paper pulp and salt. For these I use old paper such as pizza boxes, egg boxes, or used files, which I put into a food processor together with warm water and salt. The resulting pulp I then put into a mould, which is usually something like a plastic lampshade, and after drying for three to four weeks the lamp is ready.
From old foam mattresses I make lamps especially for use in bedrooms. As foam is porous light can shine through it and this gives a warm and diffuse effect.
how did you end up on this path, what training do you have?
After secondary school I studied at the Royal Academy of Art in Gent, where I received my propadeuse in graphic design. After that year I switched studies and went to Amsterdam where I studied psychology, finally graduating as a Neuropsychologist.
At the same time I remained active as an artist in various disciplines such as painting, sculpture, and photography. In 2011 I went back to art school this time enrolling at The Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. There I followed the part-time course in interior architecture and furniture design.
In 2015 I finished the course and since then I have been working in my studio in the Haagweg 4 complex
what inspires you?
I am inspired by the material itself and am always looking for ways to use it other than the way it was meant for. Through this process surprising things develop, partly recognizable yet at the same time new.
do you do any other paid or unpaid work?
I am inspired by the material itself and am always looking for ways to use it other than the way it was meant for. Through this process surprising things develop, partly recognizable yet at the same time new.
how did you find Galerie Zone?
Via my studio neighbour, Mathilde Zijp. She said I should have a chat with Frida, so that’s what I did. I feel that my lamps fit in really well with the work of the other people in the gallery, and it is really nice to have more contact with customers by being part of the gallery!
would you like to say anything else?
I think that’s fine. Stay well everyone!