Text

He is known for the zebra clock in front of The Hague Central Station. But there is another work of art by visual artist Jaap Karman on the square opposite Hobbemastraat. The design is clear and simple. Moreover, the sculpture contrasts sufficiently with its surroundings to be pleasantly noticeable.

The sculpture from 1987 was popularly called 'Lollipop' at the time. An understandable comparison, since the six coloured circles on top of the metal pole really do resemble an enormous multi-headed lollipop. However, Karman was not inspired by sweets, but by nature, for the design of this sculpture. To be precise, a tree was his starting point. The steel tubes in the top with the circles of coloured plastic on them symbolically represent branches with leaves or blossoms. And when the sun shines, red, green, orange and blue spots dance on the pavement.

When creating his objects, Karman always takes into account the place where the work of art will be placed. The object must harmonise with the surrounding architecture and/or nature. This does not mean that it has to blend in. Karman first makes an analysis of the surroundings, paying particular attention to the interplay of lines and the colours of buildings and greenery. Only then does he start on the design.
Presumably, his sculpture on the square at Zuidwalland is a metal version of the trees along the quay and the road. The distance between these trees and the houses around the square is rather large. With the metal, multi-coloured tree, Karman has reduced the distance between nature and architecture. The sculpture gives the surroundings a cheerful tint.