3411 - HEINZ MACK

HEINZ MACK (Lollar 1931–lives and works, among other places, in Mönchengladbach) Star Grid. 2007. Acrylic on canvas. Signed and dated upper right: mack 07; also signed, titled, and dated on the reverse: “Sternen-Gitter” mack 7. 133 × 164 cm. Certificate: Mack Foundation, Essen, March 2026. Provenance: - Galerie c.art, Prantl & Boch, Dornbirn. - Private collection, Liechtenstein; acquired from the above gallery in 2010. The work “Sternen-Gitter” by Heinz Mack presents a seemingly regular grid of lines laid over a deep blue surface. At the intersections, small golden squares appear to glow, evoking stars. Despite this clear structure, the image is not static: upon closer inspection, it begins to flicker, the surface seems to move, and a sense of spatial depth emerges even though no perspective is present. This effect is characteristic of Mack and the ZERO group, which focused on fundamental phenomena such as light and movement. The work does not depict a concrete scene, but instead generates a perceptual experience. The interplay of colors is particularly crucial: the intense blue makes the golden points appear brighter, while these, in turn, alter the perception of the blue. In this way, a reciprocal relationship between the colors is created in which each element influences the perception of the other. Through the flickering effect, the grid structure loses its stability. The surface appears to be in motion, even though it remains unchanged. At the same time, it becomes unclear which areas are in the foreground and which are in the background, producing an unsettling sense of space—an effect loosely reminiscent of M. C. Escher’s spatial experiments. Ultimately, Heinz Mack is not concerned with representation or symbolism, but with perception itself. The image becomes a rhythmic visual field. The gaze moves along lines and points, generating a subtle dynamism. “Sternen-Gitter” exemplifies how complex visual effects can be created through reduced formal means and invites the viewer to experience subtle shifts in perception.