Weißes Strukturrelief R 62-1 1962

This white grid-like relief was made by Johannes Jan Schoonhoven, but I don’t know exactly when. Looking at this, I’m thinking about all that repeated labor...and the kind of meditation that can come from making such a thing. One by one, each little hollow is crafted and assembled. I get a sense that the grid might have been set up in advance, like a guide, and then all the action happens with the soft, tactile surface of each cell. With its unassuming palette and modular construction, it’s a bit like Agnes Martin meets Arte Povera. But Schoonhoven's got his own vibe. What’s so interesting about the history of art is the way that each artist takes from the past in order to create something new, and also passes something on for artists to come. And that’s why we’re all here looking at the art and talking about it together.