Small Grey N°3, 2024

Guido de Boer  

The work of Guido de Boer's caught my attention because it embodies the geometric abstraction movement with rare intensity. His pieces are characterized by minimalism, where everything revolves around the contrast of squares and strokes between black and white. The pieces presented at this first exhibition dedicated to the artist are on paper, ranging from A3 to double-raisin size. What initially intrigued me were his sketchbooks, where page after page, Guido uses grids to compose patterns of black tiles, each 5mm in size. In a quasi-autistic manner, he fills the pages with creativity, where aesthetics merge with the need to create graphical syntheses between typography and abstraction. One can observe that on certain large-format drawings, a centimeter grid is sketched in pencil, guiding the author through winding trajectories where the goal is sometimes to connect the lines. At certain points, the junctions are impossible, thus concluding the work. Observing these drawings, one becomes entranced in a visual game, sometimes hallucinatory, as the rhythm imposed between the shades blurs our perception. At this juncture, the artist communicates two things. Firstly, by immersing ourselves in this maniacal approach, we see not black nor white, but gray. Secondly, despite the artist's desire to connect the forms, randomness often prevails over the overall composition. The lines are marked by irregular and accidental brushstrokes, and the junctions and intersections largely depend on chance. This expression conveys the highly personal message that Guido de Boer wishes to impart: not to rely on appearances, but to recognize that the essence has only the appearance as a form of expression. Occasionally, from these compositions, alphabets and words emerge, always with the intention of saying little but committing with veracity. Thus, the piece titled "NO" is a large-format painting featuring two traces in black ink forming the word "NO". By purchasing this serialized artwork, you support a cause, as 50% of your investment will be entirely donated to an activist organization of your choice, which will be mentioned in your certificate of authenticity.