Venetian #3

Venetian #3 by Remaut. Acrylic, mixed media on canvas120 x 100 cm |1997

Venetian #3 (1997) is a large-scale abstract relief painting that reflects Roger Remaut's longstanding fascination with surfaces shaped by time. Influenced by weathered walls, eroded architectural facades, and the traces left by use and decay, Remaut creates works that exist between painting and object. The worn surface, layered materials, and tactile relief structure give the impression of an artefact that has endured years of exposure and transformation.

While the composition recalls the contemplative spatial divisions of post-war abstraction, Remaut introduces a distinctly physical dimension through texture and construction. Contrasting black and white fields are joined by rope cross-stitching, suggesting a surface that has been torn and subsequently repaired. These visible interventions are not merely formal devices but references to vulnerability, restoration, and the marks left by time. The stitching becomes evidence of a history embedded within the work itself.

A recessed rectangular section at the lower edge further disrupts the flatness of the picture plane, creating a subtle sense of depth and reinforcing the painting's sculptural character. Throughout the composition, erosion and repair exist in tension, transforming abstraction into a meditation on memory, endurance, and material change.

Selected for exhibition at the Beecroft Art Gallery (Southend Museum), Venetian #3 represents an important example of Remaut's exploration of surface, structure, and the passage of time.

The work is presented by Xochi Art Gallery as part of the Remaut Collection: New Horizons exhibition.