Hand mit Zeichenstift Sculpture

Sculpted against the sky, the Hand mit Zeichenstift makes a bold statement. It’s a massive aluminum hand grasping a drawing pen. Here at the entrance of the Fachhochschule Düsseldorf’s Design and Architecture department, it’s a fitting tribute to creativity. The Hand mit Zeichenstift was installed on June 13, 1985. It was created by Klaus Kammerichs, a German sculptor and photographer who also teaches at the university. The sculpture is almost 5 meters high. It’s a striking example of Kammerichs’ “photosculptures.” He translates light into three-dimensional form. His designs start with photographs. He overlays them with a grid of lines. Each line represents a level of brightness, from deepest dark to brightest light. The sculptures are three-dimensional extensions of this grid. They are layers of relief, each corresponding to a tone value. The back layers are the darkest. The front layers are the lightest. From a distance, the Hand mit Zeichenstift appears flat, like a picture. Up close, its three-dimensional character is revealed. Kammerichs often chooses everyday objects as his subjects. He is also known for portraits. His “Beethon” photosculpture in Bonn has become a popular landmark. Here in Düsseldorf, the Hand mit Zeichenstift stands as a testament to the power of design and the artist’s hand.