Lot 625 D

Heinz Mack's 'light reliefs' developed their particular dynamism from the action of light on aluminium, and have formed a pivotal group of works in his oeuvre since the end of the 1950s. The artist described the circumstance of their creation as follows: ''an unexpected possibility to make aesthetic movement visible came when I accidentally trod on a thin metal foil which was lying on a sisal rug. As I picked up the foil, the light had the opportunity to vibrate. Because the carpet was mechanically produced, the impression of course remained mechanical and decorative; the movement of the reflected light was completely indifferent and boring. My metal reliefs, which I would prefer to call light reliefs and which are formed soley by the pressure of the finger, require light to live, instead of colours. Polished to a mirror, only a small relief is necessary to disturb the calm of the light and to start it vibrating. The potential beauty of this structure would be a pure expression of the beauty of light.'' (Heinz Mack, cf: Dieter Honisch, Mack, Skulpturen 1953 -1986, Düsseldorf and Vienna 1986, p.12)