johan rijpma: division a film picturing something being created by reduction

‘division’ by johan rijpma, 2012 all images courtesy the artist

designboom has received an exclusive preview of johan rijpma‘s newest work ‘division’. the netherlands-based artist has created a video featuring a steady portrayal of patterning created by a seemingly endlessly ripped piece of paper. the object is first divided into four even segments, then photographed and printed with a jagged cross between the four pieces pictured in this recreation. this photograph is placed in the same position as the initial piece of paper, reassembled through photography with the darkened line of the initial tear now incorporated into the next progression of paper rips and re-assemblage. the tears, empty spaces and white paper segments are then divided again and again as the impossibility of ripping a paper endlessly is achieved by the artist’s feedback division process. the artist tells designboom that rather than developing a pattern in a typical fashion with the addition of lines or spaces to an empty plane, the entire piece has been created on the premise of subtraction as he explores the paradox ‘everything is created by division‘.

‘division’ by johan rijpma

the first few moments of the film feature the artist dividing the rectangular sheet of paper into four even segments

at first, the rips all seem to grow unevenly, radiating from the initial cross tear

as the rips continue, a more elaborate pattern emerges

rijpma continues to break the rectangle into smaller and smaller segments

the seemingly innumerable rips create a darkened space

in the end, all of the ripped pieces of paper are swept away by the wind

you might remember rijpma’s from his acclaimed short film 2011 ‘tape generations’– a video picturing the unique movement of clear adhesive pulled by gravity into hypnotic patterns.

‘tape generations’ by johan rijpma, 2011