Nikolaus Gerhart

The work of Nikolaus Gerhart (*1944 Starnberg, DE) involves seeking out and exposing the form that resides inside a block of stone. By hollowing out and chipping away, he creates a tension between dressed and undressed stone, giving voice to the material he uses. Gerhart's sculptures are born of subtle working, the artist's hand is light but purposeful. Sometimes he drives a wedge into a block, sometimes he carves symbols on the unfinished surface. Despite this reduced formal vocabulary he still manages to convey content and associations, especially through the positioning and arrangement of the individual elements. His sculptures invite the viewer to come closer and explore, for only then is a true appreciation of their size and meaning possible. The brutality of the stele, their lower portions rough and unadorned except for a chiselled square, is softened by the highly polished blocks that sit atop each one in the circular arrangement. The square-shaped openings immediately above the rough base direct the sunlight to the centre of the circle. In contrast to the clean lines that characterise the modern façade of the surrounding EPO buildings, the sculpture calls to mind an ancient stone circle, exuding a special kind of magic that draws the viewer closer to linger and explore.