The term "concrete art" was coined by the Dutch artistTheo van Doesburg in 1930, referring to works of art thatare exclusively based on purely "plastic" elements, suchas color, line and plane, thereby forming an independent"concrete" reality. Accompanied by a new interest in howwe perceive and process visual impressions, insights fromperception psychology have been artistically explored tocreate dynamic and 'living' images.
Over the past 50 years, the Norwegian art collector ErlingNeby has built an extraordinary collection of geometricand concrete art. Encompassing European, American andNordic art, the main focus is on works from the post-waryears, including leading figures such as Victor Vasarely,Max Bill, Auguste Herbin, Josef Albers, Aase Texmon Ryghand Olle Bærtling, as well as new generations of artistswho, in different ways, use a geometric-abstract form ofexpression. This catalogue documents a major exhibitionat the Kode Art Museum in Bergen featuring more than100 works from the collection, which-through its truly personalselection-offers a complex picture of artistic positions,and the impact of geometric and concrete art.