Hermann Lederle's "Adaptation," 2015

This essay will accompany an exhibition of the artist's work next month at Arthea Gallery, Mannheim, Germany. Hermann Lederle's "Adaptation," 2015, is massive. Measuring five and a half feet by ten feet, this totemic monument doesn't just envelop you, it anchors you to the ground. Reminiscent of partially open Levelor blinds, a network of dense and narrow vertical bands sweep across the canvas. There's more weight at the center; this makes the surface quiver and shimmer, like water burbling over...