(Drivebycuriosity) - If you are a connoisseur of contemporary art and you are in or near Hamburg you should visit the museum Deichtorhallen (kunsthalle). They are showing now the Sammlung Viehof/Viehof Collection (through Januar 22, 2017). Over 600 works by 75 artists transformed the place into a temporary museum of contemporary art. Recently my wife and I used our stay in Hamburg for a short visit (driveby).
The show reminds me of the "The Broad" in Los Angeles which also displays works amazed by one private collector (driveby). The Viehof family made their money with groceries which apparently got partly invested into a collection of inspiring artist´s works.
The collection focuses on German artists, but you can find some Americans too. I display here my favorites, a very subjective selection as usual. Here you can read some interpretations by the curators (in German viehof).
Alternate Worlds?
Above this paragraph you can see some images by Neo Rauch. The artist, born in 1960, grew up in the communist Eastern Germany, influenced by the so-called socialist realism, a style of realistic art that was developed in the Soviet Union, and studied figurative painting (artinamerica). I love his paintings because he mixes realism with fantasy and plays surrealist games on canvas. Maybe he shows alternate worlds. According to Wikipedia his "paintings mine the intersection of his personal history with the politics of industrial alienation. His work reflects the influence of socialist realism, and owes a debt to Surrealists Giorgio de Chirico and René Magritte" (wikipedia).
"Männer mit Flugzeugen/Men with Airplanes" (2012, oil on canvas) followed by "Der Geborgene/The Salvaged" (2010, oil on canvas) & "Rauch" (2005, oil on canvas). It seems he portrayed himself as Elvis. Funny, isn`t it?
Above some images by Sigmar Polke another favorite of mine.The German artist, who lived from 1941–2010, was one of the most voraciously experimental artists of the 20th century. Here my report from the huge show @ New York`s MoMa 2014 (driveby).
"Weißer Raum/White Room" (1995, synthetic resin, varnish on polyester fabric). Maybe a reference to a song by Cream;
"Der Ritter II/The Knight II2 (1994, synthetic resin and varnish on polyester textile).
Above another star of the German art scene: Jörg Immendorff`s "Café Deutschland" (1962, oil on canvas) part of a series of 16 large paintings (wikipedia).
Minimalist Elegance
Above "This is Shahnoza 3" by Julian Opie ( 2006, Vinyl on wooden stretcher). I like the minimalist elegance of this painting.
What the heck? This is "MK IV, 1995" by Peter Olin Doig (1982, mixed media on paper).
Above some paintings by Georg Baselitz who is seen as a pioneer of German Neo-Expressionist paintings: "Ornamentale (Remix)" (2005, oil on canvas) followed by "Meine Eltern von Dix (Remix)/My Parents by Dix" (2005, oil on canvas) & "Der Wald auf dem Kopf (Remix)/The Forest on the Head" (2005, oil on canvas)
Funny coincidence. Some days later I saw more works by this artist @ one of Gagosian`s Manhattan dependances (driveby).
Aren´t they beautiful? Abstracts by Georg Herold: "Ägypten/Egypt" (1985, dispersion on canvas) & "Gott kennt keinen Unterschied/God doesn´t know a Difference" (1984, roof battens, labeled, wire, chipboards, dispersion paint).
Blood On The Wall
Per Kirkeby did nice abstracts too: "Das Herabnehmen/The Taking Down" (1985, oil on canvas).
The show has at least one Austrian: Hermann Nitsch - an ambitious artist with a wild history (artnews). The artist became famous with his ritualistic performance art, most prominently “The Orgien Mysterien Theater" and made headline with "Dionysian performances are replete with religious sacrifices, mock crucifixion, blood, entrails, robes, dance and nude participants" (nitsch).
This painting is called "Schüttbild/Kreuzwegstation/ Poured Picture/Station of the Cross" (1961, Blood, color on burlap).
Yes German artists like to joke: Above Martin Kippenberger`s "Kulturbäuerin bei der Reparatur ihres Traktors/Culture peasant Repairing Her Tractor" (1985, acrylic and plasticine on canvas and fabric). The artist made fun of the propaganda in the now defunct GDR, the socialist Eastern Germany.
Discovery Of The Day
The discovery of the day was Daniel Richter. A Google research didn´t show any relation with the more famous Gerhard Richter. Above some Richter paintings, most are untitled
Enjoy!
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