Relief 70-19 1970

Johannes Jan Schoonhoven made this grid-like relief in 1970, likely using plaster or paper mache to build up a surface of repeated squares. It's so white, like an all-over monochrome, but in three dimensions. I like to imagine him in his studio, maybe in the Netherlands, patiently constructing this thing. Each square seems slightly imperfect, bearing the trace of his hands. You can feel the subtle variations in the material—bumps, dents, the ghost of fingerprints. It's almost architectural, but more like a model of something than an actual building. Maybe it’s a city seen from above, all those little apartments or tiny rooms lined up. Artists like Agnes Martin were also exploring grids. But Schoonhoven is taking it off the wall, letting the grid become a physical object. So, in a way, he asks: What happens when painting steps into our space? And what if we just keep repeating one shape over and over? Like he's stuck in a loop but finding something new each time. That’s what making art feels like to me.