Industrial paint spraying equipment can be used to great effect to revitalise an office or industrial project. One thing even we did not expect it to be used for is art.

A Dutch experimental artist has taken advantage of the heretofore underutilised art tools to create some novel abstract art pieces.

Based in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Thomas Trum has used, among other things, modified drills, the world’s largest felt tip pen, line markers and street spraying equipment to create a range of different effects on canvas, as seen in this video.

The idea behind it is that the process is as important as the finished product. Many of the pieces consist of one or two lines and are even given rather reductive names that betray their complexity, such as “Two Blue Lines 11” or “Onepurpleline”.

However, due to the unique methods and tools used to create that single line, have texture and design to them that adds a surprising level of dimension to the canvas.

As he worked as a house painter before breaking out in the art world, he researches how a particular paint or a piece of equipment works before using it in a project. As a result, many of his canvases take weeks to create.

His previous work in the somewhat less creative world of painting and decorating has given him a desire to find the most unconventional ways possible to paint walls, paper and canvas. Many of his clients wanted somewhat more neutral colours than the bright primary designs Mr Trum has become famous for.

The benefit of using industrial paint tools is that you can create effects that are not possible with a brush or roller. An industrial spray allows for the use of paints that change colours as the line continues.

Naturally, due to often using spray painting many of his pieces are rather large in size, such as the 15m long Two Orange Lines from 2018, as well as painting a pool and many wall-sized designs.

One particular larger project involved the use of a paint sponge on the end of a drill. By the end, the drill was smouldering, but that added a level of volatility to the art.

It highlights not only how interesting the world of industrial painting techniques is, but also how drastically differently your approach needs to be when taking advantage of different technology.

When using industrial paint sprayers, the aim is uniformity, and most of the tools are made with that aim in mind. It is impressive, therefore to see a unique level of texturing, layering and dimension with tools that restrict all of those things by design.

There is beauty and value in effective, fast-paced uniform paint services which achieves a specific purpose, however, at the very same time, there is a place for Mr Trum’s experimental, almost playful use of machinery in order to show just what the tools we use are capable of with a different mindset.