Endless Possibilities: Geometric Abstraction
The UBS Lounge at Art Basel in Basel 2025 features works in the UBS Art Collection by international artists who engage with geometric abstraction.
Richard Paul Lohse
(1902–1988, Switzerland)
'Grün - Rote Gruppe mit violettem Zentrum,' 1954 / 1974
Oil on canvas
120 x 120 cm
UBS Art Collection
© 2025, ProLitteris, Zurich
Richard Paul Lohse was a prominent figure in the Zurich Concrete Art movement, alongside artists such as Max Bill, Verena Loewensberg and Camille Graeser. His abstract works, such as Grün – Rote Gruppe mit violettem Zentrum (1954/1974), feature grids of colored squares with modular and serial components. Lohse arranged these elements individually or in groups, usually in contrasting color-chains running next to each other.
Lohse’s process, in which he employed structures designed to standardize visual elements, adhered to rigorous systems. Rejecting subjective expression, he sought to create a universal visual language grounded in mathematical precision and order, energized solely by color relationships. His methods removed hierarchical structures, reflecting his belief in social progress and democratic ideals.
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