Lot 47 D

Jan Schoonhoven originates from the Informel; in 1960 he became a co-founder of the Dutch artist group “Nul”. Similar to the German group ZERO, which had been founded shortly before, this group stood for a radical new beginning in art, which was to be achieved through the extreme simplification of compositions and the use of everyday materials. The “Nul” members worked quite heterogeneously; of all of these, Schoonhoven was closest to the forms of expression of ZERO.
His sculptural works are purist and quiet in their appearance. By consistently limiting himself to the colour white, the artist left it to the light to create subtle forms of expression. The light evokes luminous bright and shadowed areas that are subject to permanent change.
Schoonhoven‘s reliefs are characterised by a deliberately imperfect craftsmanship. The lattice structure of the surface and the three-dimensional hollow shapes that it forms are equally important components; together they are integrated into a framework that is an indispensable part of the work of art. The serial rows are not just sections of a repeat pattern that can theoretically be extended at will; rather, each relief is a self-contained, unchangeable composition. The frame surround reveals the harmonious and very consciously calculated proportions that characterise each of the artist’s objects.