BROOKLYN, NY.- Geometry is defined as “the shape and relative arrangement of the parts of something.” In their photography Jan Groover and Hanno Otten are pursuing the notation of size, shape, planes, and space. A preoccupation with picture space is what drives the work of these two photographers.

Groover, renowned as a formalist, elevated the photographic still life to a pinnacle, while keenly pursuing matters of appearance. Groover famously dismissed any objection to guns or knives in her work, saying they were just shapes.

Otten has almost discarded the real world altogether, with photograms and abstract photographs of paint. He manipulates color and light to create a modern palette of vivid hues. Geometric patterns and shapes evoke a 1960s graphic sensibility.

Shown together for the first time, the work of these two artists resonate with their passions for geometry.

HANNO OTTEN was born in 1954, and lives in Cologne, Germany. His work has been exhibited worldwide, in such locations as Leipzig, Cologne, Los Angeles, and New York. He is also known for his sculpture and installation work.

JAN GROOVER was born in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1943, and made photographs from 1970 until her death in 2012. In 1987, Groover had a major solo retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art which subsequently toured the United States. Groover moved to France in 1991, where she lived with her husband, the painter Bruce Boice.