Solo exhibition of new works by Albert Oehlen opens at Galerie Max Hetzler
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Tuesday, November 12, 2024


Solo exhibition of new works by Albert Oehlen opens at Galerie Max Hetzler
Albert Oehlen, Ömega Man 27, 2022. Oil and lacquer on canvas, 183 x 213 cm.; 72 x 83 7/8 in. © Albert Oehlen / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn [2024], courtesy the artist and Galerie Max Hetzler Berlin | Paris | London | Marfa. Photo: def image.



BERLIN.- Galerie Max Hetzler announces Schweinekubismus, a solo exhibition of new works by Albert Oehlen, at Potsdamer Straße 77-87, in Berlin.

Known for his exploration of the means and methods of art, Albert Oehlen often applies self-imposed formal constraints to critically examine the history and conventions of contemporary art, whilst giving himself something to paint against. He combines expressive gesture with a surrealist attitude, overriding the search for constant forms and meanings.

In his paintings, Oehlen takes up details and isolated themes from existing groups of works, including the tree motif which has fascinated the artist as a form and system since the early 1980s, the ‘John Graham Remixes’ (1997–ongoing), the ‘u.b.B.’ paintings (2020–2022), and the ‘Ömega Man’ series (2021–ongoing). This marks an inward-facing shift in Oehlen’s practice as his paintings become self-referential. Here, the act of transferring the images into a new state is of greater importance than the source material. There is no separation between abstraction and figuration, improvisation and control; there are only the endless possibilities of the medium.

The majority of the paintings are rendered with a grid-like structure, giving the works the appearance of mosaic pictures. The fragmentation within the images varies: some of the grid-patterns are more regular, while others vary in size and shape. This interruption of the surface provides a reference to the title of the exhibition, which translates to ‘Pig Cubism’. By breaking up the pictorial motif, the Cubists created a way of coding human space in the context of its radical flattening. A group of four large Untitled paintings can be seen as a particularly pronounced form of this structured fragmentation. Reworking the same source in different distortions, the paintings encompass the self-imposed constraints within which the artist operates.

Four shaped canvases alongside a further painting continue the artist's ‘Ömega Man’ series, initiated in 2021. The paintings deploy the Ω (omega) symbol as a recurring motif which Oehlen submits to ongoing graphic distortions. The last letter of the Greek alphabet, omega is written here with an umlaut: phonetically emulating the artist’s name, the paintings thus refer to the artist himself, whilst also referencing the fictional survivor of a global pandemic from Boris Sagal's 1971 dystopian film, The Omega Man. The repetition of the genderless humanoid form also evokes a Cubist way of image-making, recalling the cut-outs and collages from Picasso’s compositions of the 1910–1920s. The ‘Ömega Man’ can thus be seen as a double agent in his function as an abstracting figure or as a figure used in the service of abstraction, whilst also providing a pictorial anchor, at once making and unmaking the painting.

The aluminium sculptures on view are imbued with the appearance of hybrid creatures, incorporating similar shapes to those seen in the paintings. The vocabulary of Oehlen’s celebrated ‘Baumbilder’ (Tree Paintings) and ‘Ömega Man’ works here translates into the three-dimensional with seeming ease and readability. The artist also intervenes into the preexisting gallery space, where a curved wall has been constructed. Behind it, a yellow wall references the initial presentation of Oehlen’s early ‘Ömega Man’ paintings at Reena gallery in Los Angeles in 2022. Looking for trouble through productive systems of resistance, Oehlen continues to create chaos in paint, expanding the future of the medium.

Albert Oehlen (b. 1954, Krefeld), lives and works in Switzerland. He has been exhibiting regularly at Galerie Max Hetzler since 1981. Oehlen’s work has been the subject of numerous exhibitions in international institutions, including Espace Louis Vuitton, Beijing (2024); Friedrichs Foundation, Weidingen (2023); Sprengel Museum Hannover (duo show with Carroll Dunham, 2020); Serpentine Gallery, London (2019–2020); Aïshti Foundation, Beirut (2018–2019); Palazzo Grassi, Venice (2018–2019); Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Havana (2017); The Cleveland Museum of Art; Guggenheim, Bilbao (both 2016); New Museum, New York (2015); Kunsthalle Zürich (2015); Museum Wiesbaden (2014); mumok, Vienna (2013); Kunstmuseum Bonn (2012); Carré d’Art de Nîmes (2011); Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris (2009); Whitechapel Gallery, London (2006); Museum of Contemporary Art, Miami (2005); Kunsthalle Nürnberg (2005); Musée Cantonal Des Beaux Arts, Lausanne (2004); Domus Artium 2002, Salamanca (2004); and Secession, Vienna (2004).

Albert Oehlen’s works are in the collections of The Broad, Los Angeles; Centre Pompidou, Paris; The Cleveland Museum of Art; Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris; Institut Valencià d’Art Modern, Valencia; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Mudam, Luxembourg; Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain Strasbourg; Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris; Museum Brandhorst, Munich; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Museum Ludwig, Cologne; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt am Main; Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden; and Tate, London, among others.

Albert Oehlen’s institutional solo exhibition Computerbilder is on view at Hamburger Kunsthalle from 13 September 2024 until 2 March 2025.










Today's News

September 12, 2024

French ship that sank in 1856 disaster is found off Massachusetts coast

'Extra! Extra!: News Photographs from 1908-1975' opens at Howard Greenberg Gallery

Fontaine's Auction Gallery to offer Fine & Decorative Arts Sept. 28-29

Petroliana & Advertising auction at Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. featured 309 lots and grossed $683,308

They said her music was too exotic. Now she's a classical star.

Juilliard receives $20 million to unite disciplines and support jazz

Prison where Capote interviewed killers for 'In Cold Blood' will open to tourists

Andréhn-Schiptjenko opens its first solo-exhibition by British-Nigerian artist Ranti Bam

The Belvedere opens Kazuko Miyamoto's largest international retrospective to date

V&A celebrates 100 years of theatre and performance with new free display

Amy Sherald, brazen optimist

First US retrospective of Art Deco icon Tamara de Lempicka premieres in San Francisco

Solo exhibition of new works by Albert Oehlen opens at Galerie Max Hetzler

Art shows and exhibitions to see this fall

Exhibition features street photography by Michael Silberman

Art gallery to explore Indigenous culture throughout fall in new exhibit

The lost museum in the Mauritshuis

Museum Ludwig announces 'Schultze Projects #4-Kresiah Mukwazhi'

Yesterday's Broadway warhorses, saddled with today's concerns

Seeing the fashion world through the eyes of an 8-year-old

Why do Americans want to dress like Swedes?

Are art and science forever divided? Or are they one and the same?

Xavier Hufkens opens an exhibition dedicated to Jan Vercruysse

Boosting Productivity with AI-Driven PDF Reading Solutions

Harnessing Chat PDF GPT for Smarter Document Handling

The Rise of Online Betting in Singapore: A New Way to Unwind

Why Affordable Follower Packages are the Secret to Instagram Success

5 Common Techniques Used in Filmmaking

Luxury Caribbean Experiences: From Private Villas to Exclusive Tours

Cross-Boundary Innovation: Qiwei Li Forges a Design Legend with Exceptional Articles

6 Precautions to Take Before Renting a Furnished Property

How Art Can Help When Dealing With a Cancer Diagnosis

Why Regular Commercial Cleaning is Essential for Your Business

The Influence Of Design On Modern Road Safety

From Chaos to Clarity: Untangling Complex Pay Structures with Compensation Management Software

Vancouver's Most Common Appliance Issues: What to Watch Out For and How to Fix Them

Top 5 Reasons Dallas Businesses Are Switching to Managed IT Services in 2024

The Environmental Benefits of Choosing Professional Laundry Services

Choosing the Right Size for Your Roofer Dumpster Rental

Choosing the Right Kitchen Plumbing Services: What Every Homeowner Should Know

The Top Causes of Water Pressure Problems in Homes

Advantages of Frameless Glass Shower Enclosures for Modern Bathrooms

Making the Switch: A Complete Guide to Tub-to-Shower Conversion Remodeling

The Benefits of Professional Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning for Healthier Homes

Gunite vs. Fiberglass: Deciding on the Best Pool Construction Method for Your Home

The Benefits of Free Junk Car Removal Services

Top Hardscaping Services to Elevate Your Outdoor Living Space

Top Reasons to Invest in Professional Move In/Out Cleaning Services

Roof Installation 101: What Homeowners Need to Know Beforehand

Gutter Cleaning: The Key to Preventing Water Damage and Ensuring Longevity




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys
Holistic Dentist
Abogado de accidentes
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful