Stufengefuge 1973

Kurt Kranz’s ‘Stufengefuge’ is made up of blue, grey, and brown concentric rectangles, all lined up next to one another. I imagine Kranz must have been in a trance-like state to make this, slowly building up the image one line at a time. It looks like he starts with a dark, blue-grey border, and then gradually moves inwards, with each line getting lighter and lighter. The process must have been meditative, like building layer upon layer of thought, constantly calibrating, and trying to find a sense of balance in the image. Looking at this image, I can’t help but wonder what Kranz was thinking about when he was making it. I see echoes of Josef Albers’ ‘Homage to the Square’ paintings here, but with a slightly rougher, more handmade feel. With this kind of geometric abstraction, the emotional impact hinges on the precision, or imprecision of the lines. Kranz's lines aren't perfectly smooth but that's what makes it so appealing. It shows the touch of the artist, and the human element becomes so important. It’s all part of the ongoing conversation between artists across time, inspiring and building on each other’s ideas.