Se帽or, se帽or, do you know where we鈥檙e headin鈥�?
Released by Bob Dylan in 1978, the song 鈥淪e帽or (Tales of Yankee Power)鈥� describes a strange situation. In a trance-like state, the narrator travels through a world with no clear direction or exact knowledge of the cause of his constant motion or his destination. Where has he come from? Why is he in this twilight state? Where is his journey heading? These questions about where we come from, why, and where we鈥檙e going are not only the central driving force for the humanities and the sciences; these questions are posed again and again in the arts.
The five artists in this exhibition demonstrate different approaches and yet in many ways they are united: they are in motion.
American artist Andrea Marie Breiling articulates experiences from her everyday life in her works. Her physical expression often draws on art historical sources such as the gestures of Abstract Expressionism. Her vivid, energetic, and to some extent calligraphic compositions are the result of a dynamic and animated way of working.
The movement of forms is also a central motif in Jan Pleitner鈥檚 artistic work. Reminiscent of old stained-glass windows or Kirchner鈥檚 Expressionist works, these paintings by Tal R鈥檚 master student have such a psychedelic and dizzying effect that the eye begins to seek an anchor among all the constant whirring. Through his research and travels, Pleitner has developed an interest in the early and archaic cultures of South America and Asia, whose imagery and symbolism鈥攕uch as their cosmologies, for example鈥攈ave had a considerable influence on his more recent works.
For Corey Mason there is no question that painting is always in a state of motion鈥攁nd change. The work of the American artist is visually awkward and culturally indeterminate. Inspired by color pigments from the Paleolithic Age, he primes his canvases on the reverse. The depicted motifs are often playful, trivial, and thus deliberately ambiguous. Mason's hybrid paintings reference the caves of Lascaux and Chauvet as well as Picasso鈥檚 Minotaur paintings, while his ceramic images suggest both European and Mesoamerican references.
Upon first viewing Vivian Suter鈥檚 works, comparisons to Abstract Expressionism and the art of indigenous peoples seem obvious. However, the artist鈥檚 paintings should be considered independently of these premature categorizations. Having lived in Panajachel, Guatemala for many years (since 1983), Suter is isolated from artistic trends and works largely self-sufficiently in the Guatemalan jungle. She detaches her painted canvases from their stretcher frames and integrates the flag-like panels of material into the outdoors. External influences from the surrounding environment interact with the canvases; they move with the palms and grasses in the wind and become energetically charged.
Known for his colorful abstract paintings and large-format psychedelic figurative works, the energetic power in Daniel Richter鈥檚 works is fueled by the rupture between static calm and moving narration. An eerie mood prevails in the seven-part series on display. The depicted figures remain frozen in their paintings, yet it seems as if each individual image can be used to identify a greater common context. But each person can only answer these questions鈥攚here they have come from, what they are doing, and where they are going鈥攆or themselves.
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Released by Bob Dylan in 1978, the song 鈥淪e帽or (Tales of Yankee Power)鈥� describes a strange situation. In a trance-like state, the narrator travels through a world with no clear direction or exact knowledge of the cause of his constant motion or his destination. Where has he come from? Why is he in this twilight state? Where is his journey heading? These questions about where we come from, why, and where we鈥檙e going are not only the central driving force for the humanities and the sciences; these questions are posed again and again in the arts.
The five artists in this exhibition demonstrate different approaches and yet in many ways they are united: they are in motion.
American artist Andrea Marie Breiling articulates experiences from her everyday life in her works. Her physical expression often draws on art historical sources such as the gestures of Abstract Expressionism. Her vivid, energetic, and to some extent calligraphic compositions are the result of a dynamic and animated way of working.
The movement of forms is also a central motif in Jan Pleitner鈥檚 artistic work. Reminiscent of old stained-glass windows or Kirchner鈥檚 Expressionist works, these paintings by Tal R鈥檚 master student have such a psychedelic and dizzying effect that the eye begins to seek an anchor among all the constant whirring. Through his research and travels, Pleitner has developed an interest in the early and archaic cultures of South America and Asia, whose imagery and symbolism鈥攕uch as their cosmologies, for example鈥攈ave had a considerable influence on his more recent works.
For Corey Mason there is no question that painting is always in a state of motion鈥攁nd change. The work of the American artist is visually awkward and culturally indeterminate. Inspired by color pigments from the Paleolithic Age, he primes his canvases on the reverse. The depicted motifs are often playful, trivial, and thus deliberately ambiguous. Mason's hybrid paintings reference the caves of Lascaux and Chauvet as well as Picasso鈥檚 Minotaur paintings, while his ceramic images suggest both European and Mesoamerican references.
Upon first viewing Vivian Suter鈥檚 works, comparisons to Abstract Expressionism and the art of indigenous peoples seem obvious. However, the artist鈥檚 paintings should be considered independently of these premature categorizations. Having lived in Panajachel, Guatemala for many years (since 1983), Suter is isolated from artistic trends and works largely self-sufficiently in the Guatemalan jungle. She detaches her painted canvases from their stretcher frames and integrates the flag-like panels of material into the outdoors. External influences from the surrounding environment interact with the canvases; they move with the palms and grasses in the wind and become energetically charged.
Known for his colorful abstract paintings and large-format psychedelic figurative works, the energetic power in Daniel Richter鈥檚 works is fueled by the rupture between static calm and moving narration. An eerie mood prevails in the seven-part series on display. The depicted figures remain frozen in their paintings, yet it seems as if each individual image can be used to identify a greater common context. But each person can only answer these questions鈥攚here they have come from, what they are doing, and where they are going鈥攆or themselves.
Artists on show
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