A lost and found story, historical significance and pure viewing pleasure are some of the markers that define the “New Geometry” print exhibition showcased at the VM Gallery, Karachi, recently. Presumably lost for decades, a crate containing this collection was recently discovered, quite by chance, during clearance of an old storeroom in Karachi.

Riffat Alvi, the gallery director at VM was consulted for expert advice. Immediately recognising the art and artists featured in the exhibition brochure, she volunteered to examine the prints. Found to be in pristine condition the print collection was then referred to Goethe Institute for further information and authentication. Officially “New Geometry” was conceived in 1973 by the Institute for Foreign Relations (IFA) in Germany. The exhibition centred on geometric art and imaginative use of solid colour by 10 German artists among whom Josef Albers, Rupprecht Geiger and Günter Fruhtrunk are widely known.

There is no information regarding the initial arrival, purpose and exhibition of this collection in Karachi but its accidental discovery has led to the current Goethe Institute and VM collaborative show. Featuring three prints each by 10 artists “New Geometry” was introduced to viewers through lectures by the curator of the Museum of Concrete Art, Germany, Dr Theres Rhode — especially invited for the inaugural and art critic Niilofer Farrukh.

A deep understanding of colour theory enabled the artists to temper geometric severity and emphasise the sensory experience

The striking features of the collection’s abstract and geometric concepts are the ingenious use of optical art and colour field painting techniques. Op art — short for optical art — is a style of visual art that uses optical illusions. Colour field is characterised primarily by large fields of flat, solid colours spread across or stained into the surface creating unbroken areas and a flat picture plane. In colour field paintings, the artist’s personality is less visible than in abstract art’s action paintings. Action painters conveyed their subconscious conflicts through dramatic gestural strokes but colour field painters created works that gave viewers very structured spatial arrangements that invite contemplation.

Josef Albers is best known for his seminal “Homage to the Square” series of the 1950s and ’60s, which focused on the simplification of form and the interplay of shape and colour. In his “Square” screen prints at VM consisting of three solid planes of colour nested within one another this chromatic and spatial interaction was subtle, nuanced and very pleasing to the eye. Albers is often cited among the originators of Minimalist, Conceptual, and Optical Art. He was highly influential as a teacher, first at the Bauhaus in Germany alongside Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee, and later at Black Mountain College, Yale, and Harvard.

The Munich artist Rupprecht Geiger is considered one of the leading figures in German post-war art. His work is characterised by simple geometric forms such as the circle, square, rectangle and oval, as well as luminous colours and strong contrasts. In the three prints, ‘Colour in the Round’ the chromatic impact is instant. Only later does one realise that it is the circular shape, size and colour differences that endow a sense of depth to the compositions’ primary hue.

Günter Fruhtrunk’s prints centralise on optical effects achieved mainly through linear and colouristic strategies. In ‘Contrary Rows’ his dynamic language of form with vector-like diagonal lines arranged metrically according to their alternating colours create two conflicting effects, harmony through synchronisation and discord through divergent configurations.

Lothar Quinte’s “Contrary Fans — Black” echo his background as a stained glass maker. He uses subtle gradations of colour to produce luminous vibrating forms in a state of suspension.

Specialising in hard-edge painting Georg Karl Pfahler’s prints play with strong opposing and complementary colours placed in calculated divisions of triangles and parallelograms.

Winfried Gaul also creates precise stripes, triangles and rectangles in vibrant primary hues. A softer more pliant approach in colour, shape and form characterised the prints of Bernd Damke, Karl Gerstner and Almir Mavignier. Heijo Hangens art was technically correct but deficient in emotive appeal.

This retrieved collections’ major draw was in its chromatic pull. Bearing no traces of age the prints had retained their purity, sparkle and freshness. Primary colours along with lines, and compositional devices were used to produce psychological effects. But, it was essentially a deep understanding of colour theory that enabled the artists to temper geometric severity and emphasise the sensory experience. Attractive to look at, the works emitted a sense of quiet calm which was a welcome change from today’s aggressive angst-ridden art.

The exhibition “New Geometry” was showcased at the VM Gallery, Karachi from November 8th to November 18, 2016

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, November 27th, 2016