Tromsø I   and   Tromsø II

 Thoughts on ‚Tromsø‘  I  and  II                                                                           

Both paintings strike us with their vertical format, showing high skies,

vast ocean, mountains, clouds, the falling night. The format encloses

the observer vertically, a multitude of layers opens vast spaces.

Breadth becomes depth. Another remarkable aspect being their reduced

palettes, both clear and subdued shades of blue, grey and green, to the

almost yellow. The space of cold colors is exhausted completely, without

any diminishment by neutralizing hues. Every shade holds its own through

all layers and depths.

On top of a base of ultramarine, a soundscape of hues is layered, like a

transparent crystalline structure, evoking a sense of distance and clear

air.

Necessarily frame-less, these painted condensed experiences cannot be

contained inside an esthetic border; instead, they offer themselves

plainly as that which they are: an offer to a conversation, open, yet

not chatty.

Those letting themselves follow this invitation will quickly experience

what Paul Klee described as paths inside the image that guide the

beholder's eye. Those pathways not only allow for an esthetic reflection

but also resonate with the deeper aspects of our soul – without becoming

overly sentimental or tacky.

The perspective ambiguity among dimension, depth and horizontal shapes

becomes apparent.

The traditional landscape depiction still echos in these paintings,

their clear construction is apparent without relying on perspective to

create depth: here, the spatial relationships are not ``low in the

frame: close´´ and ``high in the frame: far´´ – the canvas is used in a

completely different way through the use of partially translucent color,

staggered layers, parallel strata.

The plane is being organized horizontally, in a way that allows the

stripes to transcend it, connecting the paintings to their surroundings.

Canvas and wall exchange roles – the wall becomes the space in front of

the painting, which, in turn, falls through past it, gaining spatial depth.

Dr. K. Keßler  2010