Weißes Strukturrelief R 62-1 1962

Johannes Jan Schoonhoven made this relief sculpture of white forms sometime in the 20th century, but it could be from almost any time, really. It's all about the process, the way these grid-like cells emerge from the surface, like a field of possibilities. Up close, the texture is so important. It’s not perfectly smooth, right? More like a kind of paper mache, maybe? You can see the hand in it, the way it was built up, layer by layer. That’s what makes it sing, that handmade quality. The whole thing is kind of mesmerising. It is as if the artist is trying to build something up and then tear it all down, again, and again. Schoonhoven reminds me a little of Agnes Martin, but with more grit, if you can imagine that. Both found beauty in the grid. I love the way Schoonhoven embraces the imperfection, the slight wonkiness, like life itself.