Whispers — Enschede 2015

Arne Quinze made these sculptures called 'Whispers' in Enschede, and what comes to mind is the sheer physicality of their making. Imagine the artist building these structures, the trial and error, the physical exertion, and the mental focus. I imagine Quinze wanted to create something that spoke without words. The sculptures are made of brightly painted vertical slats in graduated tones. Look at the way the colors shift from blues and purples to reds, oranges, and yellows. The sculptures stand in a park, among the weeds and wild flowers. The colorful gestures convey a sense of liveliness. Maybe Quinze was thinking about how color and form could create a space for thought, a moment of pause. When I look at this piece I think about other artists and their work, like the colour field paintings of Helen Frankenthaler, or the sculptures of Ursula von Rydingsvard. Each artist is in conversation with each other, across time, inspiring new ideas and approaches to art making.