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Language and sign. These have been the building blocks for his sculptures since the early 1980s. In drawings, photographs and sculpture, Marc Ruygrok is preoccupied with letters, words and short sentences. This is also the case with his copper plinth sculpture 'AND/OF' from 1993.

On its pedestal in the centre of The Hague, Ruygrok's sculpture is a clear statement. AND/OF' refers to the countless choices we have to make where you are offered everything and are overloaded with visual impressions. At the same time, the image provides a sense of calm because it differs typographically from the chaotic shop logos. The austere letters are stacked on top of each other in word form. The two words stand back to back with the slash as a plate upright in between. This gives the work of art the form of a compact structure that stands like a house.

The robust forms of Ruygrok's art are often reminiscent of architecture. Like architecture, his spatial language images are strongly linked to the environment in which they are placed. Just look at the pedestal sculpture in The Hague or at 'Hier', which was placed at Museum de Paviljoens in Almere in 1993. The word 'here' was spared from an enormous copper ball. Ruygrok, however, unsettles the sober indication of place by making the ball rotatable. The viewer can decide for himself what 'here' is.

'Here' and 'AND/OF' are typical Ruygrok images. They are extremely short poems that can appear enigmatic. They reveal his preference for geometric forms, such as the rectangle and the circle. With these archetypal shapes and signs recognisable to everyone, Ruygrok developed his own visual vocabulary.