Square Relief with Diagonals 1968

This is Johannes Jan Schoonhoven’s ‘Square Relief with Diagonals’, made with paint, probably white, and cardboard. The piece is all about process. I love how the cardboard has been built up, layer upon layer, to create this grid of diagonal lines and square shapes. There’s something so satisfying about the repetition of these forms. It’s almost meditative. Looking closely, you can see the texture of the cardboard, the way the paint sits on the surface, and the subtle variations in each square. None of them are exactly the same, which gives the piece a handmade, human quality. It's a relief, yet each of the small hollows cast a shadow that gives the piece depth. It reminds me of Agnes Martin's grids, but with a more tactile, sculptural feel. Schoonhoven’s work embraces the subtle imperfections and celebrate the act of making.