Description
Jonas Burgert Salvage 2006 Oil on canvas 160 x 140 cm. Signed, dated and titled on the reverse of the canvas 'JONAS BURGERT -Bergung- Burgert 2006'. Daniel Schreiber (ed.), Jonas Burgert, Lebendversuch, Ausst.Kat. Kunsthalle Tübingen u.a., Cologne 2011, WVZ-Nr.27 Provenance Directly from the artist; Benefit auction of the Junge Freunde der Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, 17.02.2006; Private collection, Rhineland-Palatinate. Exhibitions Hamburg 2006 (Produzentengalerie), Jonas Burgert, exhibition cat., o.p. with color illustrations (with deviating dimensions) With its dense, color-intensive composition, the fascinating "Bergung" forms the prelude to a three-part group of works from 2006, which is thematically dedicated to the rescue of unconscious people. In the center of the narrowly defined room situation, a person is transported in a rescue grip, whose orange suit and cap make one think of a harlequin. A pole lying between the legs suggests an accident during a balancing act. To the left, a figure carries a limp, slumped person on his shoulders, who stands out because of the intense yellow of his flowered clothing. As an uninvolved observer, another man squats in an elevated position to the right of the image. Enigmatic details, such as the garland he wears as a headdress, the wolf's head on which he sits, and the radially painted circular disc on the wall to the left further obscure the situation. The offset juxtaposition of people at different scales that can be observed here is as characteristic of Burgert's painting as the contrast of strong colors with restrained shades of gray. He is famous for dreamlike sequences that only appear to be narrative; dystopian settings obscured in perspective are populated by enigmatic figures whose garish disguises often evoke associations with circus scenes. "Unlike animals, humans struggle with their existence, their definition. This is the phenomenon I am interested in. When you see a monkey, it looks like a monkey, or a dog looks like a dog. But a human being does not look like a human being, he is disguised and wears the insignia of his respective culture. This phenomenon interests me throughout human history, which is why I use very archaic figures. [...] I hope to paint a symbol for man with my figures." (Jonas Burgert, cit: Ausst.Kat. Jonas Burgert, Schutt und Futter, Kestner Gesellschaft, Hannover 2013, p.22).
27
Jonas Burgert Salvage 2006 Oil on canvas 160 x 140 cm. Signed, dated and titled on the reverse of the canvas 'JONAS BURGERT -Bergung- Burgert 2006'. Daniel Schreiber (ed.), Jonas Burgert, Lebendversuch, Ausst.Kat. Kunsthalle Tübingen u.a., Cologne 2011, WVZ-Nr.27 Provenance Directly from the artist; Benefit auction of the Junge Freunde der Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, 17.02.2006; Private collection, Rhineland-Palatinate. Exhibitions Hamburg 2006 (Produzentengalerie), Jonas Burgert, exhibition cat., o.p. with color illustrations (with deviating dimensions) With its dense, color-intensive composition, the fascinating "Bergung" forms the prelude to a three-part group of works from 2006, which is thematically dedicated to the rescue of unconscious people. In the center of the narrowly defined room situation, a person is transported in a rescue grip, whose orange suit and cap make one think of a harlequin. A pole lying between the legs suggests an accident during a balancing act. To the left, a figure carries a limp, slumped person on his shoulders, who stands out because of the intense yellow of his flowered clothing. As an uninvolved observer, another man squats in an elevated position to the right of the image. Enigmatic details, such as the garland he wears as a headdress, the wolf's head on which he sits, and the radially painted circular disc on the wall to the left further obscure the situation. The offset juxtaposition of people at different scales that can be observed here is as characteristic of Burgert's painting as the contrast of strong colors with restrained shades of gray. He is famous for dreamlike sequences that only appear to be narrative; dystopian settings obscured in perspective are populated by enigmatic figures whose garish disguises often evoke associations with circus scenes. "Unlike animals, humans struggle with their existence, their definition. This is the phenomenon I am interested in. When you see a monkey, it looks like a monkey, or a dog looks like a dog. But a human being does not look like a human being, he is disguised and wears the insignia of his respective culture. This phenomenon interests me throughout human history, which is why I use very archaic figures. [...] I hope to paint a symbol for man with my figures." (Jonas Burgert, cit: Ausst.Kat. Jonas Burgert, Schutt und Futter, Kestner Gesellschaft, Hannover 2013, p.22).
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