Japanischer Garten 2013

Eckart Hahn created this 'Japanischer Garten' using, among other materials, synthetic resin and pigment. Isn't it funny how the smooth, sleek surfaces are almost jarring against the organic shapes they mimic? The tree trunk is this crinkled gold, like foil wrap clinging to the form. Look how the blue paint oozes, contrasting the gold, with this hyper-real, almost cartoonish aesthetic. It’s as though Hahn is poking fun at the very idea of a serene Japanese garden. The whole thing becomes a playful deconstruction of the natural world. The tree is a little broken, a little bit sad. I’m reminded of David Hockney's vibrant, almost theatrical, landscapes. But where Hockney embraces flatness, Hahn revels in texture. Both play with artifice, reminding us that art is never a pure representation, but always a construction.