Lot 515 D

The present piece is an unusual example of the artist's early work. It belongs to the so-called 'Dynamic Structures' which he began working on in 1956 and which were key works on the way to the light reliefs and aluminium cubes. Set by hand, the vertical and horizontal lines create a distinctly sculptural structure zone, taking the place of a pictorial composition. With their periodical and at the same time gradually variegated sequence, the structure creates an optical oscillation.
The first edition of the magazine ZERO was published in 1958, documenting the famous exhibitions in the Düsseldorf studio of Heinz Mack and Otto Piene, giving the artist group their name, and setting the aesthetic position of the movement. Mack analysed his 'Dynamic Structures' in this edition as follows: 'Each zone, enclosed by two stelae, exhibits an infinitely rich colour-form structure, with their fate left to chance at the creation; the stelae themselves are deliberately placed. The individual parallel zones alter from zone to zone by degrees whilst maintaining their designated common character, setting up a vibration. […] The mechanics of the painterly action is irritated and determined by the sensitivity of the hands; the danger of perfect repetition, which is still inartistic, is thereby avoided. In principle, all the parallel zones have the same intensity of presence, but also, composition or variations can no longer be grouped'. (Heinz Mack, op.cit. Karin Thomas, Heinz Mack, Recklinghausen 1975, p.9).
Whilst the 'Dynamic Structures' are mostly white and black, the present large format work stands out by its subtle use of colour. The structure is made up of white and grey straight lines and accentuated by single, light red segments.