The work you are now standing in front of is Gamma Sud by the French artist Jean Dewasne.
Brightly coloured, sharply defined lines, angles, curves and semicircles come together in a dense, architectural composition. The glossy, almost industrial surface of the lacquer reflects the painting’s precise and systematic construction.
Jean Dewasne
Gamma Sud, c. 1972
Lacquer on wood
Kode, on deposit from the Erling Neby Collection
Gamma Sud is a smaller version of the monumental murals Dewasne created for museums, companies and public buildings during the 1960s and 1970s, including works for the offices of the newspaper Politiken in Copenhagen and the Hanover underground railway.
The painting’s title evokes associations with constellations and cardinal directions, and may have its origins in Dewasne’s interest in topology, the mathematics of spaces and forms that can be twisted, bent or stretched. At the same time, the title conveys a sense of technological optimism and faith in scientific progress.
Jean Dewasne was a theorist and an important advocate of geometric abstraction in postwar Paris. He was a member of the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles and part of the international circle of abstract artists associated with the gallerist Denise René. His work was rooted in the concrete art of the 1930s and 1940s, but he gradually developed a distinctive visual language characterised by strong colours, curved forms and intricate compositions.
Gamma Sud is part of the Erling Neby Collection, which is on deposit at Kode with the intention of permanent transfer. The collection comprises 176 works and is centred on concrete and geometric abstract art from across much of the twentieth century.
Until recently, Nikolai Astrup’s Rhubarb stood in this display, overlooking Bergen. The change of artwork makes room for a very different artistic expression and demonstrates some of the breadth of the art in Kode’s care. Astrup’s work is meanwhile embarking on an extensive exhibition tour in Japan.
Curious to discover more?
Visit Kode’s art museums in the city centre and experience more works from our collections and exhibitions.
