_ April 28, 2016 through June 4, 2016
For Compounds, dr. julius | ap brings together two Austrian artists of different generations and characters, both of whose unique, individually-developed works make an important contribution to contemporary minimal concrete art.
Gerhard Frömel [b. 1941] connects the three dimensional geometry and spatial relationships of his objects with their visual perception and the movement of viewers. His goal is not deception—not, in other words, to create an illusion of physicality by using optical principles—rather, by constructing his folded, many-layered, relief-like works in a way that makes them appear from a certain perspective like spatial bodies, his implicit goal is to show that this apparent volume can disappear with the slightest change in perspective, giving rise to an entirely new form. Frömel also understands the broader implications of this phenomenon: on an intellectual level, it represents the rejection of any kind of solidification or insistence on the reality of appearances. The insight that he makes visible here—that all positions are relative and that one should always remain in motion—is summarized in his personal motto “It is what it becomes.”
Even as he employs minimal resources, Frömel’s works remain artistically multifaceted. They are created with the greatest precision and have been compelling viewers for years.
Stephan Ehrenhofer’s [b. 1964] textile-based work begins with the weaving, meshing, or layering of various materials and media; through further development and manipulation and the use of his distinctive color palette, the pieces become objects that radiate boldly into the surrounding space. For years, his palpable pleasure in experimentation with material and form has led to the creation of widely varying series and groups of objects, whose diverse appearances are nonetheless underwritten by the same basic attitude: that the artistically and constructively well-considered combination of materials that have previously not been joined can open up new levels of perception and thought. This approach is the real leitmotif of Ehrenhofer’s work. In this regard, all his works are simply the embodiment of intellectual freedom; they are never representations of models from the world of things, but rather new creations that derive from lifelong observation and analysis—a synthesis of what he has become aware of in the world.
Above all, the two artists are connected by the intellectual freedom that their art materializes. The way each artist combines his chosen media and materials, thereby visualizing a single artistic attitude in different works and forms, creates an almost antipodal tension with the other artist, giving the exhibition at dr. julius | ap its unique essence.
COMPOUNDS
Gerhard Frömel + Stephan Ehrenhofer
Two Austrian contemporary minimal concrete artists
Vernissage Thursday, April 28, 2016, 7–9 pm
Exhibition through June 4, 2016
Thursday – Saturday 3–7 pm and by appointment
Extended opening hours Friday, April 29 through Sunday, May 1, 2016 from 1 – 7 pm