It Is Not What It Is

Lichtsteiner, who is primarily known for his series of “Birch” and “Mountain” paintings in shades of grey with white backgrounds, created very colourful paintings in the 1980s. In a time when painting was written off in favour of other, new forms of art, he continued to pursue his desire to paint by looking for conceptual forms of expression and a way out of this situation. While a picture might inspire reminiscences in viewers, to Lichtsteiner it is a metaphor for the questions he has been asking painting for decades.

In 1997 the artist made a radical shift from colour to shades of grey and the realm of non-colour. He produced experimental arrangements, declinations of his explorations with paint and ground. After creating various smaller pieces, he captured the solutions he deemed valid on large canvases. The evolvement in this series becomes apparent when viewed in chronological order. Lichtsteiner developed this plan early on – in 2006 he procured the material he would need for these eight paintings. He completed the last two works with this exhibition in mind.

His intensive exploration of relief printing led Lichtsteiner back to colour: Since 2011 he has been producing polychrome paintings. The parts viewers might interpret as “snow” remain predominantly white, the occasional  “skies” are pale, while the “rock formations” appear in oscillating, soft to intense colour modulations.

Struck by the contrast between the seemingly figurative works and the metaphorical, conceptual essence of the ruminations on painting that inspired them, viewers of this exhibition will feel compelled to take a closer look and to question their first impressions.

The exhibition was curated by Anna Wesle in collaboration with the artist. The catalogue is published by Modo Press in Frankfurt a. M..

To the artist's website

With special thanks for the contribution by