Chrome and Blue is an abstract in three tones: silver grey, deep blue and black. It looks like liquid metal caught in the middle of being stirred. It has no subject and almost no colour, and it is one of the most adaptable pieces we make. We sell it as a tapestry. This post looks at it closely.
What is in the picture
The whole surface is in motion. Broad bands of silver grey fold and curl across the picture in long S-shaped curves. Between them run ribbons of navy and steel blue, and thin lines of black and white that follow the same curves, like the grain in a piece of marble or the layers in a cut stone.
The movement turns round a point a little left of centre, where the bands tighten into a knot and the brightest highlight sits, a small patch that is almost white. From there the curves sweep out and up to the right and down to the lower left.
The upper part of the picture is mostly silver, soft and cloudy, with a fine grain to it. The lower left and the bottom edge fall away into solid black. The right side is where the blue is strongest, in long parallel strokes.
Where the look comes from
Marbling
The pattern is close to marbled paper. In that craft, inks are floated on a bath of liquid, drawn into swirls with a comb or a stick, and lifted off on a sheet. The Japanese form, suminagashi, which means floating ink, goes back about a thousand years. The Turkish form, ebru, spread into Europe, where marbled papers were used to line the covers of books. Every sheet is different, and the pattern records the movement of the liquid at one moment.
Poured paint
The same look appears in poured or fluid painting, where thinned paints are tipped onto a surface and allowed to run together. It became very popular in the last decade.
Liquid metal
The colour is what makes this piece current. Chrome, mercury and molten silver are the materials of the style sometimes called Y3K: a smooth, reflective far future. It follows from the Y2K look of the years round 2000, with its silver plastic and blobby forms. See Y3K hyperfuturism and cyberpunk vs Y2K vs Y3K.
So the piece joins a very old way of making a pattern to a very new finish.
How it works as a picture
- A centre without a subject. The knot of curves gives the eye a place to start. From there it follows the bands outward. The picture has direction, though it shows nothing.
- Light against dark. Silver at the top, black at the bottom. That gives it weight, like a landscape with sky above and ground below.
- Thin lines beside broad bands. The fine black and white lines add detail up close. The broad bands carry from a distance.
- One colour. The blue is the only colour, and it is a quiet one. It keeps the piece from being a plain grey abstract.
- All curves. There is no straight line in it. It reads as fluid and calm, in spite of the movement.
The mood
Cool, sleek and composed. It is smart in the way that a marble worktop or a steel watch is smart. It has more edge than our soft pastel abstracts, and far less noise than our neon pieces.
Why a near-neutral abstract is useful
- It goes with anything. Silver, black and navy sit with every colour scheme.
- It suits a room where other things have the colour. A bright sofa, a patterned rug, a wall of neon art. See black-and-white art in a colourful room.
- It suits a grown-up room. It looks like something from a hotel lobby or a design studio.
- Nobody objects to it. There is no subject to dislike.
See modern abstraction: colour and form for a room without a subject.
Where it works
- A grey, white or black room. It is at home at once. See wall art for grey walls.
- A room with navy in it. A navy sofa, bedding or wall. The blue in the piece ties it in.
- A modern living room, behind a sofa, in place of a large canvas.
- A bedroom. As a headboard for a bed with grey or white linen. See a tapestry as a headboard.
- Behind a desk or a setup. It is dark enough not to glare beside a screen, and neutral enough for any lighting colour. It looks very good with a black and silver setup.
- As a video-call backdrop. Abstract, neutral and smart.
It has little to offer a warm, rustic room of browns and creams. It is a cool piece and wants cool company.
What to pair it with
- Liquid Metal Mist Pink. The same liquid idea in soft violet and blue. One dark, one pale.
- Black Hole. Silver and white on black. The two share a palette exactly.
- Blue Crow. Blue, black and grey, with a subject.
- In the room: chrome or steel lamps, glass, mirrors, grey wool, navy velvet, black metal. Real metal near it picks up the idea.
Sizes and orientation
The tapestry comes in four sizes, in portrait or landscape.
- 26 × 36 inches: a large poster.
- 50 × 60 inches: above a small sofa or a single bed.
- 68 × 80 inches: above a queen bed or a three-seat sofa.
- 88 × 104 inches: most of a wall.
An abstract with no top or bottom to its subject is forgiving about which way it hangs. Landscape suits the wall behind a sofa or a desk. Check the product images for the crop. See the tapestry size guide.
See Chrome and Blue in the shop.
Hanging it
- Flat and taut. A sleek piece looks best without folds. Fix it at several points along the top, or over a rod, and steam out the creases first. See how to remove wrinkles from a tapestry.
- No nails needed. See how to hang a tapestry without nails.
- Keep it clear of heaters. It is polyester.
Lighting it
- Neutral or cool white light keeps the silver clean. Warm bulbs turn it beige.
- Light from the side shows the texture of the fabric.
- Coloured LEDs work well on it. A grey surface takes on the colour of the light, so a blue or violet strip tints the whole piece. See tapestries with fairy lights and LED strips.
A note on the finish
The piece is called Chrome, and it is printed on matte fabric. The metal look comes from the picture: the highlights and shadows that make the bands look reflective. The tapestry itself doesn't shine. That is an advantage on a wall, because it won't throw back the light of a lamp or a screen.
As a gift
A good choice for someone whose taste is modern and restrained, or whose colour scheme you don't know. It suits a new home. Each tapestry is made to order, so allow 2 to 7 business days for production and 3 to 7 for US delivery. See housewarming gifts.
Browse the tapestries collection for more.