Lothar Romain:

Speech given on the opening of the exhibition
“The Sculptures of Jan Meyer-Rogge”
at the Karl Ernst Osthaus Museum, Hagen,
on April 4, 2003

Lothar Romain The Sculptures of Jan Meyer-Rogge Tides are a phenomenon that can be attributed
to the laws of physics. The rising and falling of the water level that we call ebb and flow are caused
by the gravitational pull of the moon as well as of the sun. But tides are much more than the visible
manifestation of how the gravitational attraction of other heavenly bodies affects our planet. Tides
shape coastal life, not only of flora and fauna, but also of human beings, and have therefore long
served as a metaphor for life itself. Changing tides have become symbolic not only for the lives of
individuals, but also for a concept of history—the regular patterns of ups and downs and the
recurrence of similarities. There is a moment in the course of tides that is called “slack water.”
This is the point where the momentum of the advancing tide is equal to that of the receding tide
so that the opposing forces cancel each other out for a brief interval before one tidal form or the
other prevails. “Tides” is the name of one of the collections of the works of Jan Meyer-Rogge
on display here. Another earlier cycle of his works, which served as the express point of departure
for “Tides,” is called “Slack Water.” These titles, of course, are not intended as a description of
nature. Nevertheless, they are more than just metaphors.