Dan Van Severen
One describes the abstract oeuvre of Dan Van Severen with terms such as geometric abstraction, formalism or minimalism. Van Severen captures only the essential. By doing this, he makes a radical distinction between form and content. The distance in his works undermines every bond between the viewer and himself. Simple geometrical forms (rectangle, square, circle and oval) determine his compositions.
His works are autonomous, characterised by the interplay of lines and colours referring to each other, the relationships between paper and ink, the foreground and background. The viewer finds no point of entry and no connection to the artwork. The expectation of content is not fulfilled and the projected desires are obstructed. Each work refers to the previous, which indeed ensures that the oeuvre achieves a large coherence. As a consequence, Van Severen’s later production is characterised by the sober cross-shaped compositions, which are the result of a life-long study of square and rectangle.