When Günther Uecker hammered the first nails into a monochrome picture in 1957 he triggered an artistic development that, despite the usage of the always same plain material, is characterized by an astonishing degree of versatility and individuality. The nail as a tool for creation first and foremost serves the purpose of liberating the canvas from its two-dimensionality and the spatial level gives the artwork a haptic, object-like character. Uecker takes an object of everyday use to an aesthetic level and dematerializes it through the splashed white layer of paint. He explores optical phenomena, serial structures and vibrations that let the observer participate and allow him to influence the visual process through motor-driven or manual means. By increasing the rhythmic drive caused by the play of light and shade by means of motor-driven motion, Uecker attains even stronger contrast.