The Art of Tape

At dusk, the streets of Amsterdam glow in the sepia light of streetlamps. Lining the cycle strewn streets and pedestrian paths, these beacons cast an entrancing light on the city. But, look a little closer and you will see that lamp is much more than just a light - it's a work of art.

Street artist Max Zorn has hit Amsterdam hard with his tape-art creations. Made with only brown packaging tape, the carefully cut creations are affixed to lamps to make the streets quite literally part of the artwork itself.

With a keen eye, you might catch a modern take on Vermeer's Girl With a Pearl Earring in Amsterdam Oost. Look closely in the Jordaan and you may see a shy, 20s clad lady or the image of a young couple catnapping in the car.

According to Zorn's website, the initial inspiration behind the art came from the mood boards many designers create using coloured tape. Then, during an evening jog through the city, the streetlights spoke to him. "The nice old street lamps with their golden light seemed perfect to be used as an open gallery for the first test of my modified tape art."

The images are vibrant and engaging, and painstakingly created. Affixed to a background of plexi-glass, all of the shading and design is created with layer upon layer of tape and a lot of careful cutting. But once affixed to the lamp, these designs become ethereal and part of the city itself.

Amsterdam isn't the only place you'll spot Max Zorn. Already, his work can be found across Europe, the USA, Japan and Australia. And thanks to his Stick Together project, the following is growing. Sign-up and you may be the lucky winner of your own Max Zorn tape-art street assignment. As the world catches on to this unique and stunning art, no street will be spared a touch of Zorn!