herman de vries art catalogue

1966-02-00-011b — complete series: december 1965, 1966/11-1966/14 and 1966/18-1966/19

1966/11 toevals-objectivering

catalogue number:	hdv 1966.062.1a-h
date created:	1965-1966
classification:	sculpture
work type:	relief
medium:	elements arranged at random; (ply)wood and white paint on chipboard/wood
dimensions:	7 panels each 78.6 × 71 × 2-4 cm
signature and inscriptions:	titled, signed and dated/work number on the reverse [see 'extended description']
edition:

current repository:	private collection, the Netherlands (acquired through Galerie Wit, Wageningen (2015))
current repository number:
collecting history:	in 1965, D.W. van Krevelen (Director of Research at DSM and AKZO) commissioned herman de vries to design and make seven 'random objectivations', for installation in a box ceiling in the living room of his villa in Arnhem
related works:
comment:	each relief of the series of seven, rests on four small metal supports placed in the beams (originally dark dyed/stained, now white), which define the ceiling boxes. The sketch of the ceiling up here shows which boxes were fitted with a relief. The position of the individual reliefs as it was in October 2014. The original positions are unknown but were almost certainly different (as indicated by an earlier photo, taken around 2004, when the individual reliefs were placed differently) [source: courtesy Nico van Breemen/Galerie Wit, Wageningen]
photo/scan:	Joy DeKok, courtesy Nico van Breemen/Galerie Wit, Wageningen
rights & reproduction:	herman de vries

extended description

dec. 1965: wooden cubes arranged with decreasing density of the elements from inside to outside; titled 'toevals-objectivering', signed, dated '16-22 december 1965', dedication '→ dw van krevelen, arnhem' and inscribed with the program 'met van binnen naar buiten afnemende dichtheid van de elementen' on the reverse (felt pen)

1966/11: wooden squares arranged in a 15 × 15 grid pattern with at random choice to place the element or not; titled 'toevals-objectivering', signed and dated/work number '1966/11' on the reverse (felt pen)

1966/12: plywood elements (lengthwise slats of 2.3 × 1.3. cm, 1.2 cm apart) horizontally arranged with at random choice to apply the element (for even numbers) or leave out line element (for odd numbers); titled 'toevals objectivering', signed, dated/work number '1966/12' on the reverse (felt pen)

1966/13: plywood elements (10 × 10 × 1 cm) arranged with at random selection of place and number (overlap allowed); titled 'toevals-objectivering', signed, dated/work number '1966/13' on the reverse (felt pen)

1966/14: plywood elements (1 × 2 × 2 cm) arranged inside the squares of a 19 × 17 grid pattern (4 × 4 cm) with at random selection of direction (horizontal-vertical); titled 'toevals-objectivering', signed, dated/work number '1966/14' on the reverse (felt pen)

1966/18: wooden blocks of different sizes, 7 of each size, arranged at random; titled 'toevals-objectivering', signed, dated/work number '1966/18' on the reverse (felt pen)

1966/19: random number of wooden slats (15 mm thick with lengths in multiples of 15 mm, up to 16.5 cm long) arranged with at random selection of place and direction (horizontal/vertical); titled 'toevals-programmering', signed, dated/work number '1966 / 1966/19' and annotated 'voor de collectie d.w. van krevelen' on the reverse (felt pen)

exhibition history

published references