Nature morte with monument by Jan De Cock, created in 2013, is a tall mixed media sculpture that combines wood, chipboard, clay, plaster, paint, high-pressure laminate, metal, and porcelain. The piece stands like an abstracted pillar or totem, covered in a muted yellow tone, with a variety of geometric forms stacked vertically. At the top, intricate shapes suggest mechanical or industrial elements, lending the sculpture an ambiguous function that hovers between architectural structure and machine-like device. De Cock’s work often explores themes of modernity, monumentality, and the relationship between art and architecture. This piece invites viewers to contemplate the fusion of everyday materials with monumental form, blurring the line between utilitarian object and artistic expression.
Jan De Cock (Belgium, 1976) is a contemporary visual artist known for his large-scale, site-specific installations that explore the relationship between art, architecture, and space. His work often references modernist aesthetics and challenges traditional notions of sculpture. De Cock founded The Brussels Art_ Institute, a multidisciplinary workspace fostering collaboration between artists and educational institutions.
Mixed MediaMixed media refers to artwork that incorporates more than one medium within a single piece. Unlike multimedia art, which combines distinct forms of visual art and often includes elements like sound, video, or digital media, mixed media focuses on combining traditional art materials, such as paint, ink, and collage. Mixed media art allows artists to achieve a wide range of effects and textures by layering and blending different materials.
Nature morte with monument by Jan De Cock, created in 2013, is a tall mixed media sculpture that combines wood, chipboard, clay, plaster, paint, high-pressure laminate, metal, and porcelain. The piece stands like an abstracted pillar or totem, covered in a muted yellow tone, with a variety of geometric forms stacked vertically. At the top, intricate shapes suggest mechanical or industrial elements, lending the sculpture an ambiguous function that hovers between architectural structure and machine-like device. De Cock’s work often explores themes of modernity, monumentality, and the relationship between art and architecture. This piece invites viewers to contemplate the fusion of everyday materials with monumental form, blurring the line between utilitarian object and artistic expression.
Jan De Cock (Belgium, 1976) is a contemporary visual artist known for his large-scale, site-specific installations that explore the relationship between art, architecture, and space. His work often references modernist aesthetics and challenges traditional notions of sculpture. De Cock founded The Brussels Art_ Institute, a multidisciplinary workspace fostering collaboration between artists and educational institutions.
To me, Modernism is the most important period in art history.
- Jan De Cock
As a visual artist, Jan De Cock creates installations where the creation itself is part of the exhibition. Many of his works include performance and feature his own photography. He uses 20th century abstract art techniques to explore the effects of modern design and mass production on the world of art. A number of his works use the word Denkmal in the title, which means “monument” in German. However in his native language of Dutch, Denkmal has a different meaning: denk “to think” and mal “to mold”. Therefore his works are said to spark different ways to think and look at his subjects instead of having a singular meaning. Jan De Cock is considered a modernist artist, and his works explore the ways an artist can relate to the modernist approach. He lives and works in Belgium where he is only the second Belgian artist to present an exhibition at the Tate Modern in London. (Artist website)
A found object is a term used to describe a man-made or natural object, or a fragment of one, that an artist discovers or purchases and keeps for inspiration or as a work of art. The artist may also modify the object or incorporate it into a collage or assemblage, transforming it into a new piece of art.