This work forms part of The Crossworks, an ongoing series of projects that have emerged from one another since 2021. The works have no definitive state or form; they are always in a transitional phase. This series explores the interrelationship between colour, material, light and space. They are based on Piero della Francesca’s fresco cycle ‘The History of the True Cross’ (c. 1460; Arezzo, Italy).
Crosswork VII arose from a desire to make the work simpler and lighter, without sacrificing its power and complexity. For me, a minimalist visual language is created not by stripping a work down, but by viewing simplicity as a promising starting point.
This work is based on the form and colour of Crosswork I. Crucial to this is the choice of oil pastels, with which hundreds of different colours were blended. This quest for the right colour is visible in the subtle colour nuances when the work is viewed up close.
The simple vertical lines transform, when viewed from a distance, into a pattern of short horizontal strokes rubbed in with the thumb as the viewer draws nearer. The traces of the action are tangible in the work and create a completely different (physical) connection with the viewer. Here, lines are not lines, but an impulse for a plane. The variable nature of the sheets makes it possible to respond to the surrounding space and situation, and no two installations will ever be the same.
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