The Corner Problem

Trained as an architect, Leonhard Lapin was an artist who became notable for his images mixing the human body with machines. This work is part of his Signs series, often regarded as examples of pop art and objective art—styles he used throughout his career. By objective art, Lapin meant art created with the “objective,” or purpose, to be part of a built environment like a home. It contrasts with “lyrical-romantic art,” which he said focused on beauty and reflecting nature. With Signs, Lapin makes his own version of a commonplace object: the road sign, poster, or billboard. Each painting features contrasting colors and geometric design, similar to ordinary city signage, but the significance of his images is not as clear.

The Corner Problem reflects Lapin’s sense of humor: the phrase itself designates the architectural challenge of creating a design that links two intersecting walls without interrupting its flow. Lapin the painter is having a laugh at Lapin the architect who must deal with such difficult 3-D realities. In the world of the flat canvas, he can “solve” the corner problem with a simple triangle. Suny Cardenas-Gomez