Cottbus I, 2020

We see lines on a dark white square surface. The strong lines, almost stripes, are arranged vertically and horizontally around an imaginary center point - called center in the following - and extend over the entire height or width, taking care not to extend too far into the center. Above, below and to the right of the center, six lines can be counted. To the left of the center, however, only 5. The lines are basically yellow, but not only. In addition to the 7 yellow lines, there are 2 red and 3 blue horizontal lines, for a total of 12. 2 red and 1 blue vertical line, together with the 8 yellow lines, make 11 vertical lines. The lines are arranged from back to front along the z-axis in random order.

The work "New York I" (1942) by Piet Mondrian is referenced here. An artist with which the Stuttgart copyist Nico Franz deals with the repeated time. In an interview specifically addressed to the Dutch painter as a source of inspiration, he particularly emphasized the captivating argumentation for the painterly brilliance of Piet Mondrian. In addition, Nico Franz is fascinated by the clear artistic vision he perceives in the complexity of the interpretive levels of Mondrian's works, which nevertheless rarely leave room for speculation and are usually unambiguous in their ambiguity.

As a tribute to Mondrian on the one hand, but certainly also to put the urban character of his birthplace in perspective, Nico Franz decided on the title "Cottbus I".

The fact that it was apparently difficult for him to choose a title for this copyist masterpiece and that he must have changed it several times is still clearly visible on the back of the work. Here are listed several other older titles that have been discarded in the meantime. Partially crossed out almost beyond recognition, they are silent witnesses of an initially seemingly hopeless struggle for a title that nevertheless cannot do justice to this concrete painting in the end. Therefore, no more concrete meaning can be ascribed to this work than just this: The search for a suitable title. But even then only if Mondrian's suggestion "New York I" is not enough for the interested viewer.