Marius Lut

Though he cites Willem de Kooning as his first and most enduring inspiration, Marius Lut produces sculptures and paintings that are not about self-expression, but about the process, materials, and meaning of art itself. Through his minimalist, abstract pieces, he breaks down painting into its component parts: fabric, stretcher, and color. He presents open stretchers as freestanding objects, propping them against walls or hanging them with pieces of colored fabrics like black windbreakers and pink bath towels. He also creates shaped, monochromatic canvases, which recall the work of Ellsworth Kelly, and monochromatic compositions featuring subtly textured surfaces and geometric or amorphous forms. These works are always riddled with at least one intentional imperfection. While they may seem simple at first glance, such presentations encourage viewers to think critically. Lut wants the viewer to reconsider the medium of painting and find pleasure and interest in questioning the form’s appeal.