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Willy De Sauter’s artistic practice is a continuation of a rich tradition according to which art is the vehicle for an abstract representation of reality. His artistic vocabulary could be characterized as a thorough abstraction of forms and structures that can be found back in both nature and in culture, more specifically in architecture. The close observation of buildings, monuments and even photographs are often starting points for de Sauter’s plastic transposition of an existing form into an abstract representation. His works and their presentation refer to architectural history and to the artistic urge to represent the very essence of reality. In de Sauter’s austere oeuvre, places are reduced to non-places. Associations with philosophy, visual art, and architecture are fused into one general and open focus on culture. While his early works were mainly composed of consistent repetitions of line patterns, he has, from the 1990s onward, focused on the realization of monochrome chalk paintings and objects. Although his work appears very minimalist in style, Willy De Sauter invests much time and labor in its meticulous production process.
Steeds meer evolueren De Sauters projecten naar een totaaldiscours waarbij niet enkel de voorwerpen die van oudsher als kunst aanzien worden, los van hun draagwand komen en een relatie met de architectuur aangaan, hij grijpt ook rechtstreeks in in het gebouw en bespeelt, vervormt bijvoorbeeld haar muren.Waar vangt Kunst eigenlijk aan? De Sauter, bekend als eminent estheticus, grijpt steeds intenser om zich heen, laat zijn werken opgaan in de ruimte …
(Michel Dewilde)
