Translucent Horizons

October 11 - November 3, 2012

The Argyll (2012) and Hebrides Cycles (2001 and 2012) were inspired by journies BRUNO KURZ made in the winter of 1999 and then 2012 to the Hebrides, a cluster of islands off the coast of Scotland. In winter months Atlantic storms pound the western coast of Scotland and the days are short. Light changes quickly, clouds dart overhead, winds howl, tempestuous seas surround these sparsely populated isles. These are the impressions that inspired the new Argyll Cycle (2012). (Incidentally, ‘Argyll’ was the name of an early modern Scottish duchy and means ‘Coast of the Gaels’ in Gaelic.)

The series is characterized by expressive paintwork in which cracked surfaces, layers of colour and traces of pastose serve as contrast to a metallic background. Horizontal layers provide the colours a clear compositional order. The recent works from the Hebrides Cycle exude again their typical sense of contemplative calm. At the same time, their colour space appears to pulsate in fields of light. (Several paintings in this series are named after Lucifer, a deity in Roman myth who personified the Morning Star and whose name means ‘Light-Bringer’.) Reflective surfaces – consisting of resin, India ink glazes or transparent silk gauzes layered over a vertically delineated metal background – afford the works a striking luminosity and shimmering colour spectrum.

Depending on the incidence of light and position of the viewer, the paintings may be perceived in a variety of ways. The multiple viewpoints offered by the works are the hallmark of their vitality.