On the occasion of the exhibition Changes by Esther Kläs at Gallery Har-El, the artist was invited to create an edition that would take the format of an artist book, as well as large-scale monotypes, a technique that focuses on direct action and a certain amount of chance, a fine line between wanting and becoming. 

 

For the exhibition, the 14 double pages of the book are displayed in the shape of a grid; 3 times originating from an edition of 14. The pages vary in their order. Each page consists of 4 elements such as colorful circles, long lines, short lines, and empty spaces; It is the similarities and differences, the equality of the used elements in each page as well as in the overall composition that invites us to observe changes in dynamics and to think about existence. 

 

In the face of our persisting need to affirm what is presented; Kläs’s sculptures us/we, 2023 and the monoprint series Shadows, 2023 express through equalizing materiality, a decision that derives from a configuration of elements, a method of repetition, and subtle differences. 

It is not the grand gestures in Kläs's work that make us think about things and reframe them, but the persistence of what is presented in front of us.

 

Gallery Har-El, Jaffa , January 12, 2023