BRUSHES
By Hugo Rocci
Elevating the artist's implement.
In Brushes, Amsterdam-based artist Hugo Rocci shifts the focus from the artwork to the instrument itself. Through a series of meticulous still-life paintings, he catalogues the diverse forms of the humble paintbrush. From frayed, handmade bristles to precise, factory-issued tools, Rocci elevates these overlooked objects of utility into subjects of deep visual interest.
The original pieces were rendered on rough cotton-linen, utilising a highly specific mixture of pencil, oil, and casein infused with raw pigments milled at a historic windmill in Zaandam. This deliberate, slow medium perfectly mirrors his philosophy of pausing to appreciate the craftsmanship of everyday items.
As a physical object, the book is exceptionally produced to match the artistry of its contents. Its unusual, elongated 150 x 300 mm format is specifically designed to accommodate the shape of its subjects. Printed in rich four-colour offset on tactile Arena Natural Rough paper, it is bound in a striking screen-printed hardcover.
Specifications:
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Artist: Hugo Rocci
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Format: Hardcover with screen-printed cover
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Dimensions: 150 x 300 mm
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Technique: Four-colour offset printing
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Paper: Arena Natural Rough 120g
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Edition: Limited edition of 400
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Publisher: Terry Bleu (Amsterdam)
About the Artist
Operating out of Amsterdam, Hugo Rocci is an artist, publisher, and an archivist of the everyday. A graduate of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, he founded the independent print studio Terry Bleu as a space to explore material culture and collaborative publishing. Rocci’s personal practice is deeply rooted in observation; he actively collects functional, mundane items—from textiles to hardware—using painting as a medium to highlight the raw, understated elegance of the things we constantly use but rarely truly look at.
