Text

Sometimes a work of art is undated. Such is the case with the sculpture by painter/sculptor Huub Hierck on the facade of the Bezuidenhout Child Care Center. The work was originally created for the former photography school (later The British School) on Tarwekamp. Because the sculpture was designed specifically for that building, its year of construction provides a point of reference. The school opened its doors in early 1968. A brief newspaper article in *Het Vaderland* dated October 12, 1968, adds: “The copper sculpture shown above can be admired on the facade of the new School for Photography and Photographic Technology in Mariahoeve.” When the school was demolished in 2020, the artwork was spared thanks to the efforts of many, and in 2026 it was given a new home on the facade of the new Bezuidenhout Children’s Center.

The large wall object consists of several juxtaposed and superimposed metal plates of various sizes. We see geometric figures, but almost all of them are irregular in shape. In one case, they combine to form a neat rectangle or a perfect square. With the layered structure and the angled rectangles and squares, Hierck realized a strong depth effect in the "flat" object. The plates are not smoothly polished and the green of the copper possesses different gradations. The rough skin, hues and intentional imperfection of the figures create the sensitive beauty that typifies the artwork.

The same applies to other works in Hierck’s body of work, including tapestries and wall paintings, ceramics, glass compositions, paintings, and sculptures. Sometimes his work is figurative. Generally, however, it is abstract. For example, the “Cascade” fountain in the water near the old power plant consists of a repetition of the same clean-lined form. Yet it forms a dynamic, fluid whole due to the way the water flows into, along, and through the various components. Here, Hierck uses water to add a playful touch to his art. In his metal sculpture, it is the irregularity in the geometric figures that allows the artist to imbue his abstraction with a lyrical quality.