Laser Paintings (1986-1996)

For ten years Balth has experimented with new light in his Laser Paintings. He scans an image with a laser scanner, which he then manipulates and prints enlarged on canvas.

The pigments in this dot-shooting process are sprayed not on, but into the canvas, resulting in beautiful sfumato color effects. Like painting, a medium with which Balth once started his career, even before the Perspex works, in 1967.

In his series of laser paintings ‘The Touch’ Balth uses the brushstrokes of the famous Water Lilies by French Impressionist Monet, which he blows up 2.500 times. As an ode to the French master who, like Balth, but a century before, was always looking for light and the effect of light in his work.

With a vertical line he parts the ‘paint’ of Monet and introduces the division typical of Balth into the work. The microscopic brush strokes also suggest a satellite image, where the Earth is viewed from above. From ultra large to ultra small, Balth plays with our perception.