Art Blart

Exhibition dates: 21st May – 31st July, 2010
Artists: Peter Dreher, Friederike Jokisch, Josef Schulz, Thomas Wrede

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Many thankx to Cai Wagner and Galerie Wagner + Partner for allowing me to publish the photographs in the posting. All works: © the artist, courtesy Galerie Wagner + Partner. Please click on the photograph for a larger version of the image.

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Peter Dreher
‘Schöne Tage im Hochschwarzwald’
1999
Oil on canvas

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Friederike Jokisch
‘Domizil’
2009
pastel

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Josef Schulz
‘Felswand #3’
2008
Type C print Diasec

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“Nature became landscape long ago. Since the Romantic period landscape has furthermore been an aesthetic position. But what is landscape for the modern human being? The thematic exhibition “Open Landscape” at the Galerie Wagner + Partner provides a juxtaposition of multigenerational photographic and pictorial approaches to this question. The reference point for all participating artists is the real landscape.

The works of Thomas Wrede and Joseph Schulz increase their charm through friction between photorealistic representation extended through staging and intervention. Wrede, in his series entitled “Real Landscapes” combines the natural beauty of landscape with constructed miniature models. The landscapes photographed in this way appear seductively plausible and exaggerate the romantic projection.

Schulz similarly aims for an aesthetic exaggeration and idealisation through digital intervention in his nature photographs of the series “Terraform”. Through the elimination of human traces he reconstructs the lost primordial state of nature and creates people’s “internal” images of the landscape.

Similarly originating from actual landscape, Peter Dreher’s “Schwarzwaldlandschaft” (Black Forest Landscape) appears idealistic. It almost appears to be based on the tradition of “Heimatmalerei” (patriotic landscape painting). Viewed in close proximity however, the picture’s elements are ordered according to days and time. Each single picture documents what the artist saw and captured at precisely this point in time. Only when viewed as a whole an abstract picture of landscape as space-time-construct appears.

The central theme of Neo Rauch-student Friederike Jokisch is the landscape beyond the established idyll. Her large format pastel paintings make the process of transformation from nature to landscape tangible. In striking pictures “landscape” is demystified and instead ruptures and alienations between culture and nature become central themes.

The exhibition consciously poses more questions, attempts to find fewer answers. At the same time it continues the theme of the previous exhibition “The Nightingale’s Secret Garden”.

Text from the Galerie Wagner + Partner website

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Thomas Wrede
‘Drive In Theatre’
2009
Lambda Print Diasec

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Thomas Wrede
‘In the Tertiary Valley’
2008
Lambda Print Diasec

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‘Open Landscape’ exhibition view at Galerie Wagner + Partner, 2010

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Galerie Wagner + Partner
Karl-Marx-Alee 87
10243 Berlin
Germany

Opening hours:
Tues – Sat 12 – 6pm

Galerie Wagner + Partner website