Jean-Pol Herbots

1960, Belgium

When he dipped his hands in the paint and then laid them on the paper, this man might have produced nothing but tiresome stains of shapeless trails. In fact, with unwavering determination, as if fired by a well-ordered decision, he applied himself categorically to display a mental world, consistent enough with his experiences to make us refuse to believe that chance could have had anything to do with it. When he later switches to a paintbrush, this change in approach does not dramatically alter the ‘style’ of this artist, who clearly knows what he wants to paint and won’t be taken for a ride by anyone.

One can’t help being stuck by these purely plastic equilibriums, in which regularity has no place, each work being absolutely original and personal, fruit of an intense will-power.