Reflections on Surface

The eye is not only capable of seeing, but also of grasping things. Material with its structure and texture can be scanned visually and combined with haptic memories to generate an almost complete image of a surface – without ever having touched it. Perception – the gathering and inner processing of information conveyed to us by our surroundings – is subjective. But it is certainly possible to play with a broad audience’s perceptions.

Reflections on Surface is showing works that combine visual perception with haptic memory in a wide variety of ways. Different materials and their specific properties are used to make the works appeal to our sensory imagination. Naturally, the choice of material always plays a key part in the artistic process; for both aesthetic and purely practical reasons, but also because of its socio-cultural significance. The possibilities and variations are manifold.

The great number of sensory associations that can be triggered by material properties is demonstrated when we take a look at various plastics, metals, textiles and papers, or natural materials such as beetle shells. However, subtly perceptible differences attributable to technical factors such as the application of colour also make the characteristics tangible or even more pronounced when, for example, lead and feathers or felt and glass are juxtaposed.

In some works, the material’s inherent properties are taken a step further, so adding a level of illusion to the dialogue between artwork and viewer. We may think of the crumpled pages of an architectural magazine, recall wet bistro tables after a downpour, or surmise an added dimension within the stretcher frame, like looking through a window to the other side of the canvas. Woven structures are reminiscent of textile patterns, and blurred reflections prompt questions on the nature of the surface that captures them.

The exhibition shows works by 15 artists that reflect upon and utilize materiality in a variety of ways. “Reflections on Surface” invites us all to explore these, so investigating our own perceptions.