Gesamtkunstverk!

Andre Butzer

Untitled, 2007

New Art From Germany

Saatchi Gallery

As long as you can manage to rush through the first room of the Saatchi Exhibit "Gesamtkunstverk" which I found quite dreary, you will be good. Each artist's work has been given great open space to breathe its own life. Although I think the title of the exhibit sounds a bit "dated" the work is all from the the last 10 years. We bought the Saatchi book "Germania" a few years ago (my husband is German after all), and most of the artists in the book are represented here, but it is always a lot more amusing to see the pieces in real.

Unfortunately, though I am only able to do what the book did for me, to show images. But here at least you can be given a little glimpse of what the German Artists (or artists living in Germany) are up to these days:

Andre Butzer

Ahnenbild 2411, 2006

Andre Butzer with Street Art meets murals, meets Abstract Expressionism.

Andre Butzer

Untitled, 2007

Isa Genzken

Mutter mit kind, 2004

Kinder filtern I, 2005

"There is nothing worse in art than, "You see it and you know it"... That's a certainty I don't like."

             -Isa Genzken (Saatchi)

Isa Genzken

Bouquet, 2004

Gert & Uwe Tobias

Untitled, 2009

Gert & Uwe are twin brothers and was born in Brasov, Romania, but live now in Cologne.

Their flimsical, metric, folkloric, and fun canvases definitely helps bringing joy into your life (even though there are dashes of morbidity).

Gert & Uwe Tobias

Untitled, 2007

Ida Ekblad

Loop, 2010

Dusty Dry On The Tongue Swallowed Some, 2010

Ida Ekblad was born in Oslo (Norway), but she live and work both in Berlin and Oslo.

"Painting to me combines expressions of rhythm, poetry, scent, emotion... It offers ways to articulate the spaces between words, and I cannot be concerned with its death, when working at it makes me feel so alive. - Ida Ekblad (Saatchi)

Ida Ekblad

Organ Invention, 2010

Alexandra Bircken

Drape, 2007

Julia Koether 

Leibhaftige Malerei, 2007

Insert - Leibhaftige Malerei

Alexandra Bircken

Unit 1, 2008

Georg Herold

Untitled, 2010

These sculptures are quite breathtaking but are they reclining or are they being pulled?

Georg Herold

Untitled, 2011

Thomas Zipp

Schwarze Ballons, 2005

Thomas Zipp

World Kantzler Office, 2004

Max Frisinger

Noah's Ark (CocoRoasie), 2010

(Front) Thomas Kiesewetter

I have a little bit of news today as well, I put an offer in for a lease on a Gallery space. Nearly holding my breath while I am waiting for an answer:) Wish me luck!!!

With Love

Kristin

The Shape of Things to Come

Folkert de Jong

Seht der Mensch 2007

New Sculpture

Saatchi Gallery

The heat is on and I am struggling here I sit in my office loft... I don't want to complain though, it is a gorgeous day in London and I am finally back here at my desk to write another post.

The new exhibit at the Saatchi Gallery has been met with the question "Is it any good?". I am questioning the question. Can you actually judge what is good and bad Art? Some of it will resonate with you and some will not. There is perhaps nothing more subjective than Art, and the pleasure of judging is within ourselves. 

Kris Martin

Summit, 2009

David Altmejd

The New North, 2007

David Altmejd

The Healers, 2008

Whatever you do think of this exhibit it is entertaining. Each room has a new surprise from the macabre to the destructive, even sexual agony. But, if you are looking for pure beauty I would suggest that you venture another route.

Dirk Skreber

Crash 1&2

Thomas Houseago

Untitled 2000

Thomas Huseago

Figure 2

John Baldessari

Beethoven's Trumpet (With Ear) Opus #133, 2007

Baldessari's piece is fascinating and quite brilliant, it is about the paradox of communication's incomplete nature - a sculptural sound piece about a deaf composer. If you speak into the trumpet a part of Beethoven's six quartets will be heard.

Berlinde de Bruyckere

K36 (The Black Horse)

2003

This piece has a nauseating effect, the artist has stripped the horse of identity.

Roger Hiorns

Copper sulphate Chartres and Copper Sulphate Notre-Dame 1996

(partial)

Folkert De Jong

The Dance (2008)

"The clones are trading with themselves, their own kind, ripping off each other and dancing towards their destiny: self-destruction"

     Folkert de Jong

Matthew Brannon

Nevertheless (2009)

"Nevertheless, is an adverb comprised of three words: never-the-less. It became my stance against the panic that ensued from the economic collapse. An attempt to answer the question: what can we make when we shouldn't be making anything?"

        Matthew Brannon

Bjorn Dahlem

The Milky Way, 2007

David Batchelor

Parapillar 7 (2006)

Martin Honert

Riesen (Giants) 2007

The German artist Martin Honert creates human figures from a child's point of view. Here is a perspective with me and my youngest son (Marcel). Their 2.72 metres hight is not coincidental but the actual measurements from the tallest man of the 20th century, American Robert Wadlow. We do not know their intention but the word Riesen, do mean "Trek" or "Journey".

With that I am trekking along and wishing you a great evening!

With Love

Kristin

His large-scale human figures manage to capture a vivid immediacy and sense of wonder achieved by recreating the world from a child’s point of view. Instead of looking back from an adult’s nostalgic perspective, the artist bases his works on family photographs and illustrations from schoolbooks, as well as his own childhood drawings, using scale and illusion to "save an image before it dies within me".

A feeling of being afraid in a huge and empty exhibition space originally inspired Honert to make his oversized figures entitled Riesen (which translates as ‘trek’ or ’journey’). The sculpture is composed of two bearded men, dressed in ordinary, contemporary clothing. The fact that they are each 2.72 metres high is not entirely fantastical or arbitrary; Honert took this specific measurement from the tallest man of the 20th century, an acromegalic American named Robert Wadlow. 

Designated for Leisure!

Robert Fry

Drawing Room Study 7

2008

The Saatchi Gallery

Sloane Square, London

So Valentines day is over for this year... and I thought it would be like last year, some flowers, some wine and some good food. I gave my man a road map over France... dreaming of driving to Champagne...But, then during my scampi appetizer at the local Sardinian restaurant I was surprised with an invitation to the Babington House in Somerset for the weekend. During the rest of the meal there was nothing else to do but to smile. I am so grateful for my wonderful life.

These pictures are from my recent trip to the Saatchi Gallery where I fell in love with the Robert Fry Paintings. Gorgeous, slightly whimsical sensuality.

Robert Fry

Drawing Room Study 5

2008

Ansel Krut

Arse Flowers in Bloom

2010

Flower stills are again in flavor...and refreshingly so here with Ansel Krut.

Anthea Hamilton

The Piano Lesson

2007

Jonathan Wateridge

Jungle scene with plane wreck

2007

Dick Evans

Black Grape

2006

Maurizio Anzeri

Rebecca

2009

Toby Ziegler

(insert) Designated for Leisure

2004

Juliana Cerqueira Leita

Up

Down

2008

Charles Saatchi whom I wrote about in an earlier blog is known for his genius in picking new and promising talent. All the artwork represented in his Gallery right now, is done by young artists living mostly in Britain but also a few residing in New York and Berlin. The Gallery flows beautifully from room to room and while you are viewing the newcomers you can't help but think; which one of them or how many will hit the big bank? I mean Saatchi is best known for launching great careers for the artists that he picks.

With Love 

Kristin

I am an Artoholic

MY NAME IS CHARLES SAATCHI

AND I AM AN ARTOHOLIC

One of the first things I will do when I arrive in London is to go to the Saatchi Gallery. 

The Saatchi Gallery inside the Duke of Yorks HQ, on King´s Road is one of the largest Contemporary art spaces in the world with 70,000 square foot. Until then, I will have to be satisfied by the owners book. In "My name is Charles Saatchi and I am an artoholic" Charles Saatchi has posted questions he has been asked but never wanted to answer before now. With this he hopes that he has given the media what it wants and to please just leave him alone...!

It's a raw, funny, informative and provocative picture of an Art Collector that comes clear after finishing the book. Charles Saatchi, so called the "Super-collector" also managed to snag and collect the fabulous Cooking Goddess Nigella Lawson.

A perfect gift for someone who is usually too busy to read, but love art? It is a quick read and at times quite entertaining.

I will give you some hints here:

" There are no rules about investment. Sharks can be good. Artists dung can be good. Oil on canvas can be good. There´s a squad of conservators out there to look after anything an artist decides is art."

"Being a good artist is the toughest job you could pick, and you have to be a little nuts to take it on. I love them all."

"...once you have bought something that doesn´t fit in your home, and has to be stored in an art depot, you're officially an art collector"

I nearly have to yell at him for this one:

What´s Nigella's cooking really like?

"I´m sure it´s fantastic, but a bit wasted on me. I like toast with Dairylea, followed by Weetabix for supper. It drives her to distraction, frankly, particularly as she gets the blame for my new fat look. But the children love her cooking, and our friends seem to look forward to it."

& This is where I am:

"The more you like art, the more art you like...

the rest is his journey:

....So I find it easy to buy lots of it, and seeing art as an investment would take away all the fun"

With Love 

Kristin