NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) — Anton Bakker doesn’t call himself an artist. He prefers the title of “discoverer.”
“I can’t draw and I can’t make a picture of things,” said Bakker. “But I can look for things where atoms live.”
That approach led to his new sculpture the Norfolk Botanical Garden.
Bakker created the 11-foot-tall, figure-eight-knotted steel piece using a lattice structure on a computer.
It’s his mathematical way of looking at art.
“To me, that’s like life,” said Bakker. “You may have an interesting path with interesting symmetries. And it’s like a journey.”
Bakker was born in Utrecht, Netherlands, but he now calls Norfolk home. He’s a living representation of his own creation because as you move around the sculpture, you’ll see different things.
“So often we may not be as far apart as we think,” Bakker said. “We’re just looking at it from a different angle.”
The installment is called "Koos Knoopje," named after his longtime mentor and friend, mathematician Koos Verhoeff.
“He didn’t get to see it,” said Bakker. “He passed earlier this year.”
But Bakker's way of thinking - something he learned from Verhoeff - is now a permanent piece of the garden. It’s a reminder for us all to be open to different opinions, different views and different ways of life.
“Perspectives matter,” said Bakker. “Learning that by looking at an object I think is a nice way to learn that experience.”
The official unveiling of the sculpture was held near the rose garden Friday morning.