Jan Robert Leegte

The mid-grey chiseled computer interfaces of the late nineties tend to evoke early sculptures created in bas-relief, a technique arcing all the way back to stone carved petroglyphs that is as ancient as humankind's first steps in making art.

By carving into a flat surface, the play of shadow and light holds strangely between drawing and sculpture. – Flat and three dimensional at the same time, the bas-relief is an art discipline on its own.

Skipping past the more elaborate reliefs found in classical traditions around the world, this discipline takes a wondrous turn with chiaroscuro grisailles. Painted using only grayscale tones, these faux three-dimensional surface sculptures are created by only using highlights and shadows in paint.