COLOGNE.- Galerie Karsten Greve will present American artist Kathleen Jacobs in her first solo exhibition in Germany, introducing her as a new artistic voice in the gallery's program. The opening, in the presence of the artist, will take place on August 30, 2024, as part of the DC Open Galleries 2024. Interview requests are welcome during this time. Additionally, a comprehensive accompanying publication in three languages will be published, showcasing the multifaceted work of this exceptional artist.

In a unique, collaborative creative process with natural elements and time, Kathleen Jacobs creates a poetic and multifaceted abstract painting. The viewer is offered a fascinating visual experience. Initially faced with seemingly monochromatic works in white, blue, yellow, or red, various layers, horizons, and landscapes gradually unfold, enhanced by colors such as brown, black, or green. These depths are intensified by colors that the artist does not add herself. It is the traces – the patina – left by nature on the canvas that invite the viewer to contemplate the interconnectedness of nature and the abstract beauty of the world in a kind of lyrical meditation.

"For me, trees are a template for the law of nature. I realized that the lines and patterns of the bark were very similar to forms found in nature. Clouds in the sky, waves in the ocean, flowing rivers…" --Kathleen Jacobs

Kathleen Jacobs utilizes the surface texture, the wood grain of tree bark. By vertically stretching the linen fabric around different tree trunks and applying her frottage technique, inspired by Japanese woodblock art, Jacobs transfers these complex patterns and forms in infinitely nuanced color gradations to the canvas. As seen in vivid photographs of the process, she gradually applies additional layers of color using a piece of linen soaked in pigments and oil paint. In this lengthy, almost ritualistic process of her artistic exploration, which can last several months to three years per canvas, Jacobs invites the other actors to leave their mark on the canvas.

Her approach is deeply rooted in the Chinese philosophy of Taoism. The credo "action without action" symbolizes Kathleen Jacobs' artistic practice. While her early works show a clear tendency towards the tradition of plein-air painting in Western landscape art, she gradually moves away from figuration, especially after her transformative stay in China (1984–1988), recognizing the only possible approach for her art:

"I’ve spent many years outside painting and making woodcuts. After some time, I realized that I should use what was there (physically) to make the work… It was an interesting experience, collaborating with trees, weather, and time to paint these images. I allowed the surface to speak for itself. My work is born from the collaboration between the trees, the natural environment, and myself, but it’s not about trees; they are abstract paintings. The lines and patterns are important, nothing more, nothing less."

This approach and the associations intended to be evoked by the imprint are realized through a distortion effect, as Kathleen Jacobs rotates the canvas by 90 degrees, revealing horizontal lines.

Kathleen Jacobs is a passionate pilot. When one contemplates her works, associations ranging from lightly clouded, blue skies to stormy horizons, which constantly shift depending on altitude, come to mind. In navigating this cosmos without a fixed horizon or reference point, one relies on so-called aviation fixes that mark intersections in the sky. The abstract work titles - composed of five capital letters, such as GRACE or SUNUP - represent these fictional intersections on Kathleen Jacobs' celestial map. The titular piece ATHOS actually marks a navigation intersection utilized by pilots and defines Jacobs' studio in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The discovery of this aviation vocabulary near her home inspired Kathleen Jacobs to assign coded titles to her works.

For her inaugural solo exhibition in Germany, the artist chooses the title ATHOS to share this significant moment in her artistic journey and the inception of her inspiration. Her works invite the viewer to approach these intersections and discover the sky. Stripped down to the essence of natural forms, Kathleen Jacobs' art invites the imagination to soar freely.

The award-winning cinematic documentary Woods of Symbols: Kathleen Jacobs, a Portrait by Jérôme Neutres and Aurore Blanc from 2023 on her artistic work will be featured in the exhibition.