Something mysterious, cosmic, and deep radiates from Emil Lukas’s thread compositions. At times, these works (as large as 78 by 96 inches) appear to be flat. From a distance, they have auras—as though we are witnessing space in slow motion and seeing into and through vast distances. Close up, we think we can see the mechanics—thousands of threads of different colors pulled taut at opposite sides over a rectangular box of wood. Closer inspection, however, reveals that there is no discernable pattern; the colors cross each other in all directions. How did the artist invent this way of working? How does he achieve ethereal effects? How long does this obsessive way of composing take? Even though Lukas calls his compositions “paintings,” they consist of three-inch-deep wooden boxes painted white inside…see the entire review in the print version of May’s Sculpture magazine.
