Laura Metal through the eyes of artist Huub Giesbertz

Laura Metaal recently opened a new office at Klipperweg in Maastricht. The existing office building was refurbished and will be used by the commercial, finance, HR and ICT departments. To enrich the interior, Huub Giesbertz was asked to portray Laura Metaal in his own unique way. Together with general director Maurice Husson, he talks about the creation of the twelve works that now form a common thread through the building.

^{Maurice Husson (l) and Huub Giesbertz (r) at one of the artworks in the new office on Klipperweg.}

About Huub Giesbertz

Giesbertz lives in Landgraaf and has been photographing all his life. Creating art actually came about by accident, he says: "My first works were on canvas, but I didn't like that very much. The colors didn't sparkle, it didn't splash off the canvas. In 2012, when I was a steward involved in the tunneling of the A2 motorway, I came into contact with gallery owner Marcel Ronda, who had works of art printed on aluminum. When I saw that, I knew right away: that's what I was looking for." Giesbertz is now many exhibitions away and his work can be found all over the world.

Our company as a lazy land

Husson explains why he immediately thought of Giesbertz for the office decoration: "I wanted to give our new office building a fresh look, with a link to our activities. When I walked among the coils of steel and stacks of plates here in Maastricht, I was often reminded of Huub's work. I came across it by chance a few years ago in a gallery in Maastricht. I contacted him, and what I already expected happened: our factory offered enough inspiration and was a kind of lazy land for him." Giesbertz, who is a big fan of industrial environments confirms this: "I was immediately impressed by the thick steel plates, huge coils and the amazing machines. Steel is already one of my favorite subjects to photograph anyway, so I was able to enjoy myself here. On rare occasions I was even allowed to join the foreman on a crane. A special experience that produced beautiful images."

Secret process

But it did not stop at hours of photography alone. In fact, Giesbertz's work takes on its individuality through editing. "The subjects I photograph should contain as little color as possible," he explains. "Because I add that color to them through the editing itself. That's quite a process, because I don't stop until I have that wow feeling myself. Many people have already asked me how I get to this result, but that is the artist's secret and of course I don't reveal that." Giesbertz is very pleased with the results. Yet one work stands out for him: "It is a multicolored work of rings. The beautiful hues make it special." This work adorns Husson's office. Coincidence? "I didn't know this work was Huub's favorite from this series," says Husson. "For me, this one stood out because of its colors and perspective. The metal rings are knives used for bezoming the steel plates. The choice was not easy, by the way, because there were many beautiful works in the series!"

Pride and dynamism

Giesbertz hopes the new office residents enjoy his work. "It's nice if everyone recognizes - in their own way - Laura Metaal and perhaps themselves in it. And that it evokes a sense of pride. By using aluminum as a support, my work keeps changing depending on the light and where you stand. This makes it dynamic. That dynamism suits Laura Metaal down to the ground."