Oerkracht en Geometrie, een samenspel tussen steen en kleur
(Primal Force and Geometry – an interplay of stone and color)
Works by sculptor Jan Pater (b. 1950) and the German master of geometric abstraction Edgar Knoop (b. 1936)—who recently turned 90—come together in a duo exhibition. The show presents a contrast between Pater’s monumental, organic sculptures and the precise, mathematical color sequences of Knoop’s *Horizonte* series. This interplay between three-dimensional primal force and two-dimensional color exploration offers a unique experience.
A dialogue between mass and infinity
While Jan Pater seeks out the depth of the tangible human form, Edgar Knoop investigates the principles of color, perception, and the horizon. Both artists strip their subjects—the body versus the landscape—down to their absolute essence. What remains is a dialogue between the gravity of the earth and the fleeting nature of light.
Jan Pater: Sensuality captured in rock-hard natural stone
Jan Pater is known for his work at *Beeldengalerij Het Depot* in Wageningen and has an international reputation for his monumental abstract-figurative torsos. His working method is intuitive and uncompromising: eschewing preliminary sketches or clay models, he uses an angle grinder to battle unyielding millions-of-years-old stone types such as granite, marble, and gneiss. The result is an interplay of textures. Rough, hewn surfaces highlight the material’s origins, while mirror-smooth polished curves catch the light. The exhibition also features bronze sculptures and a video documenting the creation of *Aurora*—the imposing Carrara marble sculpture commissioned for the lobby of the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital in Amsterdam.
Edgar Knoop: The Law of the Horizon
Contrasting with the heavy, earthy mass of Pater’s work are the kinetic and color-focused pieces by Edgar Knoop, a former professor at the Munich Art Academy. In his *Horizonte* series, Knoop translates the visual experience of the horizon and the refraction of light into precise, rhythmic color sequences on a flat plane. His mathematical precision creates an illusion of infinity and movement. When his panels hang in the same space as Pater’s sculptures, a beautiful interaction emerges: the hard, glossy marble set against Knoop’s planes of color. The exhibition demonstrates how the three-dimensional stillness of a sculpture and the dynamism of a sleek wall piece can perfectly balance a space.