Britta Rettberg shows selected works on paper by artists Youjin Yi, Hansjoerg Dobliar, Leonhard Hurzlmeier and Philipp Messner. Paper is not merely a material in these works, because, in the end the condition of the paper always remains as a visible component of the work. Whether on torn or folded medium surfaces, heavily structured or smooth surfaces, each artist formulates figurative or abstract visual languages of their own.
In Youjin Yi’s art, the process of omission is just as essential as the process of addition. The composition of the handmade Korean paper on which she intimates the piece’s contexts and figures with only a few patches of color and strokes is decisive here. Both artistically and in terms of content, Yi’s primary focus is on the interplay of opposites: On the fine structure of the paper, coarse painting meets precise drawing, abstract composition meets clearly defined representation and Western pictorial worlds meet those of Asia.
Youjin Yi (b. 1980 in Gangneung, South Korea) first studied at Sejong University in Seoul. In 2011, after travelling through Europe, she began studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich with Guenter Foerg and with Leiko Ikemura at the University of the Arts in Berlin. She lives and works in Munich
Philipp Messner will be showing works from his series “Magnetos 1 +2 Hexa” at the Galerie Rettberg. As is so often the case in Messner’s art, the interplay of naturalness and technology is the focus here as well. In addition to works on paper, this group of works consists of magnetic sculptures in which the artist coats various objects, such as branches, stones or masks, with a magnetic layer and then covers them with iron powder. To a certain extent, he relinquishes control over his work to physical phenomena such as, in this case, magnetism. Messner also adheres to this principle of relinquishing control in his work on paper. Within a precisely defined pictorial space, the artist causes the unpredictable, magnetizing material to react with iron powder, thereby overcoming the strict rules of composition enforced by the grid of perspective.
Philipp Messner (b. 1975 in Bozen, South Tyrol) studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts (ENSBA) in Paris. His work is featured in numerous collections, such as the Pinakothek der Moderne, the ERES Foundation or the Center for Contemporary Art in Ujazdowski Palace, Warsaw. He lives and works in Munich
Whereas nothing is left to chance and every detail is measured with grid and radius down to the millimeter in his works on canvas, Leonhard Hurzlmeier’s works on paper are characterized by a spontaneous and free brush stroke. Here, too, the artist renounces any effect of depth and places his figures against monochrome backgrounds. Using only a few lines and circles, and without abandoning his usual geometric perfection completely, he creates character studies with recognition value. Significant facial features such as prominent noses, lips or eyebrows are overemphasized through the repetition of geometric shapes.
Leonhard Hurzlmeier (b. 1983 in Starnberg, Germany) studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich from 2004 to 2011. He received his degree as master student studying under Jerry Zeniuk. His works are featured in international collections such as the Munich Re art collection or the Aïshti Foundation in Beirut. He is represented by the Rachel Uffner Gallery in New York, and he lives and works in Munich
Hansjoerg Dobliar’s art is not about the exact measurement of pictorial space, rather it has to do with the symbiosis between paint and material. In the Galerie Rettberg, the artist will be showing works on found materials, such as cardboard boxes, fragments of posters or scraps of paper. Their structures, cracks and fraying determine the composition of their respective images. Paint is applied more sparingly on these medium surfaces, compared to his canvas works. It is captured fleetingly, like paste, as a spontaneous accent or clearly defined line. Nuances blend into each other and, in some places, end as scribbles. Thick, opaque layers on the thin medium surface hint at the unknown that is behind them. These layers are disrupted by bright points of light or by the exposed structure of the medium surface.
Hansjoerg Dobliar (b. 1970 in Ulm, Germany) studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich from 1993 to 2000. His works are featured in numerous collections, such as those of the Lenbachhaus, the Pinakothek der Moderne and the Goetz Collection (Sammlung Goetz). He lives and works in Munich.
