translated and summarized by: Liz Wollner-Grandville,
290310: Afterimage – Young Austrian Painting
Galerie Elisabeth Michitsch
Afterimage – Young Austrian Painting
03.03.10 – 10.04.10
Painting with ladders
Naturally, painting is a bogeyman, a falsification of space on a surface, something that has not only burdened the Art History Museum (KHM) but also many other museums. The problem for artists is the already painted painting as well as the examples of proven and scrutinized painting. The presentation “Afterimages – Young Austrian Painting” shows three different positions, demands the quick memorisation of all paragons and to be curious if the representatives of the young national artist league are promising.
Olivia Kaiser, Katharina Olschbauer and Stefan Wirnsperger (all younger than 30) studied at the University for Applied Arts in Vienna. What they have in common is the format and the fact that all of their works were painted with bristle brushes; maybe even with a sponge, and Olivia Kaiser also uses crayons – but none of them applied spray, daub, or paste. All the works are real paintings, not older than three years, and radiating confidence and are at the same time delicate – be it through the colourfulness of Olivia Kaiser’s paper works, the casual brush work by Stefan Wirnsberger or the contrast between drawing and surface with references to Matisse in Katharina Olschbaur’s paintings. However, their topics differ considerably. Each artist’s position has distinctive peculiarities. Especially the colouring is unmistakable – Kaiser’s works are motley, Wirnsberger basks in those tones of red primarily used in filmmaking in the 1980’s, and Olschbauer applies boldly illuminated complementary contrasts or occasionally a rich pink. The same can be said about the formal gestus – Kaiser utilizes language committed to the surrealistic ecriture automatique. Wirnsberger depicts men in light summer attire in landscapes, on motorcycles and next to garbage cans.
The splendour of painting takes place in an ambiguous light of dissemination and heritage; instead of, or with, names, which one recognizes from painting to painting, to which one becomes accustomed or which one does not want to do without. An object must be purchased and be resilient before it can be handed on – something that paintings are suitable for; bogeyman is a name for the envy of the others.
By Gesche Heumann
Galerie Elisabeth Michitsch
1010 Vienna, Opernring 7, Mezzanine
Tel: + 43 1 512 83 13
Fax: + 43 1 512 85 25
email: office@elisabeth-michitsch.at
www.elisabeth-michitsch.at
Opening hours: Mon – Fri 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sat 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
290310
Galerie Elisabeth Michitsch
1010 Wien, Opernring 7/12
Tel: +43 1 512 83 13, Fax: +43 1 512 85 25
Email: office@elisabeth-michitsch.at
http://www.elisabeth-michitsch.at
Öffnungszeiten: Mo-Fr 10-13, 14-18, Sa 10-13 h
Galerie Elisabeth Michitsch
1010 Wien, Opernring 7/12
Tel: +43 1 512 83 13, Fax: +43 1 512 85 25
Email: office@elisabeth-michitsch.at
http://www.elisabeth-michitsch.at
Öffnungszeiten: Mo-Fr 10-13, 14-18, Sa 10-13 h