SPARK ART FAIR VIENNA

When looking at Jürgen Paas' works, the first thing that comes to mind is minimal art and, in particular, works by Donald Judd or Frank Stella. One recognizes a reduced form with a geometric appearance and the withdrawal of a personal signature through the use of machine-produced materials.

In the Jukebox series, the artist uses prefabricated PVC strips in a wide variety of colors, which are normally used in the furniture industry. However, the name of the series already refers to another level that goes beyond the obvious. A “jukebox” makes music, it encourages movement, dance. The same way Jürgen Paas' pictures encourage movement.

It is only when changing position in relation to the artwork that the entire spectrum opens up; a picture that is dominated by stripes in shades of blue when viewed from the left can suddenly appear surprisingly predominantly red or yellow when viewed from the right. For the artist, this is more in line with kinetic art, which sees movement as an integral aesthetic component. If the viewer changes their position, the object changes too.

Like a musical score - the titles of his paintings often refer to song titles that inspired him during his work - Jürgen Paas constructs his works, leaving nothing to chance in the compositions. He plays with light and shadow and with a multitude of possible colour combinations. Despite their minimalist objectivity, the pictures have a strong emotional appeal and radiate an energetic intensity. They evoke “pure happiness in the present beauty and opulence of pure color”.