Winston Wächter Fine Art is excited to announce CARVED: Part Two, an online exhibition of new carved drawings by Andreas Kocks. In this series, Kocks explores the artistic possibilities of the blank page, using elegantly cut lines to break up and transform its surface.
To construct these monochromatic “drawings”, Kocks first cuts into the soft handmade paper with a scalpel, then gently begins to bend each line upwards into flowing, organic compositions. Slanting the cut paper in such a way results in shadows that perfectly mirror their origins. The effect is a precision akin to lines drawn directly on the paper itself. Commanding these subtle shadows, Kocks mimics the use of pens or chalk to create depth and complexity within his blank sheets.
Through experimentation with different line depths and lengths, Kocks wields the full potential of this cut-graphic technique. Using longer cuts, he indicates the broad outlines of objects, and with short, clustered parallel strokes, he allows for areas of light and shadow to emerge, breathing into them an internal life. The resulting illusions are astonishingly vivid.
A departure from previous works, Kocks takes less of an abstract approach to create these designs, and draws inspiration from the natural world and its forms. The organic, movement-invoking shapes of flora and fauna present the best opportunity to demonstrate the creative vision of Kocks’ cut-line technique. The viewer can almost imagine a fine breath of wind sweeping through the strips of paper, softly swaying the plant stems and ruffling petals.
Andreas Kocks was born in Oberhausen, Germany. He received his MFA in Sculpture from the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and his MA in education at the University of Düsseldorf. In 2006 he was awarded a Pollock-Krasner Foundation fellowship. In addition to exhibiting at museums and galleries in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Finland, England, and the United States, he has received numerous commissions from private and public clients. His works can be seen in museums and private collections in Europe and America.
