![Mathias Goeritz, Mensaje, 1958-62](https://artlogic-res.cloudinary.com/w_1600,h_1600,c_limit,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto/artlogicstorage/ruizhealyart/images/view/71991b9f0382e66af193f6e173261f1ej/ruiz-healyart-mathias-goeritz-mensaje-1958-62.jpg)
![Mathias Goeritz, Mensaje, 1958-62](https://artlogic-res.cloudinary.com/w_1600,h_1600,c_limit,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto/artlogicstorage/ruizhealyart/images/view/98d08b05cb19a22b0d032cb627ea1b4aj/ruiz-healyart-mathias-goeritz-mensaje-1958-62.jpg)
![Mathias Goeritz, Mensaje, 1958-62](https://artlogic-res.cloudinary.com/w_1600,h_1600,c_limit,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto/artlogicstorage/ruizhealyart/images/view/423473fdd69baa947b9d64d9a2303866j/ruiz-healyart-mathias-goeritz-mensaje-1958-62.jpg)
Mathias Goeritz
Mensaje, 1958-62
Hammered brass and metal fasteners on board
24 x 36 3/4 x 1/2 in
61 x 93.5 x 1.3 cm
61 x 93.5 x 1.3 cm
Further images
The Mensaje series is related to Goeritz’s intention of making a spiritual experience visible without using Christian iconography. Goeritz was led to gold as a symbol of infinity, an expression...
The Mensaje series is related to Goeritz’s intention of making a spiritual experience visible without using Christian iconography. Goeritz was led to gold as a symbol of infinity, an expression of a religiosity that exalts death and life or conflates them into a love/death unity. His monochromatic series plaques began in 1957 and are considered to have reached their fullest expression in the 1960s. For example, Message (Mensaje) from 1958-62 was made from a punched sheet of steel that, like the altarpiece of a baroque church, was then carefully covered with gold leaf. The work's rich texture and profound luminosity are designed to trigger a visceral reaction in the viewer and foster contemplation.
Goeritz's use of gold should also be correlated with the religious iconography of Byzantine and pre-Renaissance Western Christian imagery, in which gold symbolizes divine transcendence. The punctured surfaces can be considered an ‘icon sign’ of a confrontation with tragic human existence. The Mensaje series is sought after for its non-objective and modern solutions and the uniqueness of its materials.
Goeritz's use of gold should also be correlated with the religious iconography of Byzantine and pre-Renaissance Western Christian imagery, in which gold symbolizes divine transcendence. The punctured surfaces can be considered an ‘icon sign’ of a confrontation with tragic human existence. The Mensaje series is sought after for its non-objective and modern solutions and the uniqueness of its materials.