Deux Plans Virtuels, 1965
Text needs editing Soto is a Venezuelan artist who, in the 1950s, began a series of personal experiments to explore the relationships between shape, colour and sound. He took inspiration from the carefully planned, hard-edged abstraction of Piet Mondrian (1872-1944). His early relief's comprised of highly organised bands of black and white, or another colour, which acquired visual 'life' through extremely simple but dazzling means. In 1955 he 'invented' his own type of kinetic sculpture, adding true movement to the equation. He developed this throughout the 1960s incorporating the thin, vibrating wands seen in the Ferens' piece, to give a subtle third dimension to his work. Soto played a prominent role in the Kinetic Art movement of the 1960s. Deux Plans Virtuels typifies much of Soto's work of this decade with its use of wiring and suspended forms, set against a striped background. In this piece he uses the striped background's special optical effects, in appearing to attack and partly dissolve the rods suspended in front of it. This 'visually jarring' effect is enhanced by both the movement of the rods and the viewer's own body. Venezuelan artist, Soto, played a prominent role in the Kinetic Art movement of the 1960s. His work at this time often used wires and other metallic elements as well as striped backgrounds. As with Deux Plans Virtuels, the effect of the striped background is strange in appearing to attack, and partly dissolve, the forms, placed in front of it. This 'visual jarring' effect is enhanced by any movement of the spectator's body or head. Influenced by the Russian Constructivists and the work of Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) in particular, Soto shared their desire for a pure abstract art form. His work during the 1960s sought to be wholly independent of the natural world, and any references to it.
