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Stephan Baumkoetter, "Paintings"November 28 - December 26, 2015 taguchi fine art, tokyo |
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Born in Muenster, Germany in 1958, Stephan Baumkoetter studied painting at Art Academy in Duesseldorf (branch in Muenster) from 1980 until 1986. From 2010, teaching as professor at University of the Arts in Bremen. Now resides and works in Cologne and Bremen. He is recognized as one of the leading German contemporary abstract painters. His works are housed in many museums as Kunstmuseum Bonn, Staetdtische Galerie Lenbachhaus in Munich, Kolumba Museum in Cologne and Harvard University Art Museums Busch-Reisinger Museum in Cambridge, etc. On this occasion, exhibited are his main work, that is oil-stick paintings on canvas. They first appear as monochrome paintings but slowly revealing a constantly shifting color space, which both exposes and in turn conceals a wide spectrum of colors. Oil-stick is the material with oil paint being pressed into a cylinder. It is very difficult for artists to fully control it since it is soft and always changing its own shape while drawing the lines. Baumkoetter understands its character very well and makes use of it - the contingency of the result it brings and the impossibility of reproduction, trying to create autonomous painting which does not represent his own intention, emotion, idea nor sense, painting which does not express anything. The lines drawn with oil-sticks are originally connected directly to the movement of the arm and body of the artist. In a long working process of drawing, lines are covered with new lines and disappears. Colors are also mixed and getting homogenous. Baumkoetter keeps working until the vague, unclear color space turns to impersonal and anonymous. We may say his attempt is one possibility of automatism in painting. Baumkoetter had a solo show at Gallery Terashita, Tokyo in September 2008. This first solo show at Taguchi Fine Art is the second occasion to introduce his works to Japanese audience. Please come to take a look of the paintings by Baumk_tter which enables us to free ourselves from the identifying vision and conceptual classifications, and back to our pure perception of "seeing". From 17:00 on the first day, Saturday, November 28th, we will have a reception for the artist. Checklist of the installation 1. Untitled, 2014 oilpaintstick on linen, 73.5 x 46.0 cm 2. Untitled, 2015 oilpaintstick on linen, 73.5 x 50.5 cm 3. Untitled, 2012 oilpaintstick on linen, 83.5 x 48.5 cm 4. Untitled, 2014 oilpaintstick on linen, 63.0 x 43.0 cm 5. Untitled, 2010 oilpaintstick on linen, 90.0 x 52.5 cm 6. Untitled, 2012 oilpaintstick on linen, 78.0 x 45.5 cm 7. Untitled, 2013 oilpaintstick on paper, 32.0 x 24.0 cm 8. Untitled, 2013 oilpaintstick on paper, 32.0 x 24.0 cm 9. Untitled, 2013 oilpaintstick on paper, 32.0 x 24.0 cm |