Barbara Höller
Lines, surfaces, color, contrasts. With her modular work systems and serial grids, Barbara Höller proves time and again — in always new and surprising ways — that she masters something few other artists do: the dynamic interplay of mathematical principles of order, optical perception, and aesthetic minimalism.
Which brings us straight to the topic of play.
In her body of work OR, the element of play is expressed on three levels, each referencing aspects of a board game:
In her piece FAIR OR SQUARE, she explores the idea of the game board.
The series COMMON OR GARDEN is dedicated to the game pieces.
And the group FAKE OR TAPE addresses the concept of the moves within the game.
It is the interplay of rules — which every game has — and artistic freedom, as well as the blend of conceptual and playful aspects, that characterizes Barbara Höller’s art. Her works continuously offer a multifaceted experience of strategy, perception, and artistic expression.
(Daniel Zaman)
Lines, surfaces, color, contrasts. Through her modular work systems and serial grids, Barbara Höller continues to demonstrate—again and again, and often in unexpected ways—that she is a master of the art: the dynamic interplay of mathematical order, optical perception, and aesthetic minimalism.
Which brings us straight to the topic of play.
Every game is defined by a strict set of rules. Those who break the rules are usually considered spoilsports. Barbara Höller embraces both ends of the spectrum: on the one hand, structure and regularity; on the other, the artistic freedom to obscure or only subtly hint at the rules.
Her series OR explores this idea on three levels, drawing inspiration from the components of a board game: the playing field, the game pieces, and their movements across the board.
(Daniel Zaman)
