Tuin (vier keer) c. 1944 - 1990

Kees Stoop made this print, 'Tuin (vier keer)', which translates to 'Garden (four times)', using etching. Look at the textural difference between each of these garden studies; the top left image of a tree is made up of a mass of entangled lines that create a dense canopy, whereas the lower right is a course brick wall. I find this interesting, particularly the top right panel. There is the sense of a copse of trees, but also a wall of densely layered brush strokes, that could be compared to the approach of someone like Alfred Sisley. Stoop is making a comparison between the organic and the constructed, nature and art. The process he uses is very apparent; the way the acid bites into the metal plate, creating a physical depth. I like how he doesn't try to hide his process or intention. This print reminds me of Agnes Martin's prints, not in style but in how an artist’s particular sensitivity can be expressed through simple means. The garden may be divided into four, but remains whole.