Weiße Struktur 1960

Gerhard von Graevenitz made this dotty artwork, Weiße Struktur, and it’s all about the surface, the process, and our perception. I love how the uniform dots almost seem to vibrate, like they are a field of energy. The white-on-white palette gives it a minimalist feel, but the texture is really where it’s at. You can see these tiny perforations in the surface and imagine the hand that made them, like the methodical labor of putting all those dots in place was a form of meditation. Looking closely, I notice how the density of dots shifts gradually, creating this subtle gradient. This reminds me a bit of some Agnes Martin paintings, where she uses minimal gestures to create a sense of depth and movement. But with Graevenitz, there’s something more mechanical about it, like a glitch in the matrix. It’s not a painting, but it’s painterly, you know? It’s an object, but it’s also an image. I find that push and pull really interesting.