Rasterreliëf met grijs-geel verticaal

Description

In 'Grid relief with vertical grey-yellow' the Belgian artist Jan Maaskant combined four stainless steel rods of the same length to form a grid. The centre consists of an enclosed square, the ends are open. On the left of the grid, a small aluminium plate with linen stretched over it has been attached vertically to the grid. On this, Maaskant painted a narrow yellow and slightly broader grey band with acrylic paints. The grid is attached to the wall with aluminium rods about 5 cm long so that it appears to float. The grey-yellow vertical is attached to the grid with slightly longer rods.

Maaskant’s work developed from sculptures with an enclosed mass to open sculptures built up of different elements. The space between these elements, like the space around the work as a whole, played an increasingly strong role. Maaskant saw sculpture as the articulation of space, but from the 1970s he mainly created wall reliefs. By means of the wall he involved the surrounding space in his work without it being affected by intrusive factors. When a sculpture is placed on the floor of an exhibition room or in a public space, the presence of the public or other objects can influence the effect of the sculpture, and the quality of the space itself can also influence it.

For Maaskant the wall is a space which is easier to control. In his view, society is determined by structures. The individual relates to the structure in a specific way. This principle is expressed in his work visually with references not to concrete objects in reality, but with a concern for the “interpretation of living facts”. In 'Grid relief with vertical grey-yellow' he combined a neutral structure like the stainless steel grid with a more personal painted element. He used geometric forms because of their neutral character, while colour stands for the individual aspect. With regard to his reliefs in general, Maaskant said: “Thus the reliefs are models which arise from human relationships as well as models for sculpture.”

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