the poetry of the systems

The world around us is full of systems – structures that we take for granted in our daily lives. Think of our alphabet, the world of numbers, the calendar, the road network and music theory.  We take the systems for granted and accept them as they are.

In her work, Appel tries to map the beauty of existing systems and looks for logic and mutual connections within these systems. She finds patterns, rhythms and structures that she analyses, dissects, overlaps and re-orders, often through self-imposed rules.

The work that results from this are abstract images; colors and patterns printed on paper. By weaving a grid of horizontal and vertical lines over the image with thread, the image gains an extra dimension. Because the threads also have their warp and weft according to certain rules, they give the image extra information. At the same time, it reflects the connection between the different systems.

In her work, Appel shows that systems, no matter how rigid they sometimes seem, offer space for visual poetry.