Artwork Data

Title

Intersection

Artist

Lon Pennock

Year

1981

Material

Cortenstaal

Dimensions

h. 840 cm

Artwork Location

Address

Ockenburghstraat, Den Haag

City district

Loosduinen

GPS data

52.057557464741, 4.226614672939 View on map

Artwork Description

Text

On Ockenburghstraat stand two rectangles of equal height: one resting on the ground, the other 'floating' and connected to the underlying cube by a rib. Lon Pennock called his sculpture 'Intersection': as if a cube twice as high had been cut through and the top part shifted to the edge. Later, the sculpture was also called 'Balance'. And indeed there is balance in the relationship between the blocks and the space that remains. The subtle, reasonably impossible balance is precisely what characterises Pennock's oeuvre.

For his commissions for public space, Pennock visited the location and intuitively determined the shape and dimensions of the 'sign' he wanted to place in a particular spot. For the central reservation of the Ockenburghstraat he chose corten steel, which oxidizes quickly on the outside. This creates a layer of rust that protects the inside. Pennock found the rust brown appearance to fit in better with the natural surroundings.

Pennock has realised one or more works of art in public spaces almost every year. During his studies (late sixties) he was already working on abstract constructions in metal. In doing so, he followed a trend that was developing internationally. Many artists at the time (including Richard Serra) arrived at similar form solutions. From an art-historical point of view, the artist, who also worked as a teacher and design consultant, belongs to the Minimalists. Their work is characterised by strict geometry, elementary shapes and the use of industrial colours.

Initially, Pennock's work was still 'romantic': the geometric constructions were built up from various sizes of steel, which he sometimes painted. He wanted the steel to float, but the blocks of Perspex needed to support the constructions undermined that aim. With works like 'Intersection', Pennock arrived at a clear concept: the rectangles keep each other in perfect balance: they are balancing on the edge of probability.

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