Anton Bakker belongs to a lineage of 20th and 21st century artists who have used mathematical principles to explore the frontiers of perspective and perception. Born in the Netherlands, Anton began a 40-year collaboration with mathematician and artist Dr. Jacobus “Koos” Verhoeff at the age of 16. In turn, Koos was an acquaintance of M.C. Escher, and an occasional advisor to the perspective bending artist on mathematical matters. After developing the world’s first fully automated ball-on-surface maze game in the late 1970s, Koos and Anton began to explore computer-based methods to find intriguing and beautiful paths within cubic lattice structures. Anton has nicknamed his sculptures based on these paths “atomic sculptures,” because cubic lattices form the basis of the most stable molecular forms of many elements.
After Anton moved to the U.S. in the 1980s, he and Koos had their first joint sculpture exhibition in Albany, NY. Subsequently, Anton leveraged his growing knowledge of computer science to pursue a tech career, landing a position that required relocating to Paris for much of the 1990s. While in Paris, Anton resumed regular face-to-face collaborative work sessions with Koos. Together, they created multiple lattice-derived sculptures that were exhibited throughout Europe. Anton also came to the forefront of a new tech field, working with innovators in Belgium to explore the possibilities of 3D printing. Upon returning to the U.S. in 1997, he started his own business centered on deep data analysis, while continuing his artistic work. His solutions of many practical design and construction problems opened new possibilities for connecting lattice points with curved paths, and realizing these intriguing shapes in gold, silver, steel and bronze. By applying these techniques at both small and large scales, Anton created works that may be seen today in private collections and public art spaces in the U.S. and Europe.
Shortly after the death of Koos in 2018, Anton sold his business to devote himself full time to his art. Today, he devotes his expertise in deep data analysis solely to filtering sextillions of lattice paths to find those with unique beauty that continually evolves as observers shift their point of view. Together with a computer interface he has nicknamed Ariadne, he searches vast lattice expanses to identify points that generate intriguing paths, continuing the quest to challenge the limits of perception and perspective.
Anton is represented by Jackson Hole Fine Art Fair
Here’s a clip with Anton during his exhibition with Norfolk Arts in 2013.
See some of Anton’s latest work
Read about the sculptures Anton donated to the public art program: https://www.pilotonline.com/news/article_2a6d15f3-60bd-5abf-8afe-637de5fdfb4f.html
