Jef Verheyen - Works from the 1960s
Ensemble
Around 1960, the artist further elaborates on his Zwarte Ruimte or ‘Black Space’. He conceives his series De 4 Elementen (‘The Four Elements’): earth, air, fire and light. Gold, silver and bronze pigment as well as brass powder are further explored to suggest the right atmosphere. Shortly after, around 1962, Verheyen introduces his Arcs works where multicoloured light beams pass through the canvas such as Zonneboog (‘Sunbow’), Regenboog (‘Rainbow’) or Maanboog (‘Moonbow’). The artist also leaves the square canvas and paints on round fibreboards (tondo). Verheyen’s travels to Mexico and Brasil will be translated in his paintings around 1967-1968. At the end of the 1960s, Verheyen is preparing intensely for his luminous aurora works such as Lichtstroom, Lichtkolk, Lichtwenteling and Lichtvogel on the occasion of his Belgian representation at the Venice Biennial in 1970.
