7309 - Federle, Helmut

Federle, Helmut "Black Series III" A series of 18 drawings. Oil on various types of paper. 1991. 24 x 34 cm. Each signed “HFederle” in pencil on the reverse, monogrammed “HF,” dated, inscribed “Vienna,” and numbered, as well as bearing the artist’s stamp, where it is titled and inscribed. Consisting of 18 individual sheets, “Black Series III” comprises a series of strictly linearly arranged drawings of equal size, which, starting from a single horizontal bar, develop into an increasingly dense grid structure through the continuous addition of further bars. Following a strict principle of addition, the sheets are identical to their own numbering and, as it were, indicate their position within the sequence. The Swiss painter Helmut Federle explores the relationship between image and number in multiple ways. “Federle’s mode of representation comes closest to the stroke-based characters of the Chinese numeral system, which is based on the strict arrangement of vertical and horizontal strokes. In 1985, Federle traveled to China, whose culture held a particular fascination for him. His encounters with Chinese art are reflected both in a series of new black-and-white paintings and in his engagement with Far Eastern calligraphy.” (Helmut Federle, exhibition catalog, Kunsthaus Bregenz, Bregenz 1999, p. 113) Drawing and works on paper occupy a prominent place in Helmut Federle’s entire body of work. His drawings reflect a continuous exploration of geometric forms and their balance within the picture plane. His works are represented in numerous museum collections, including the Tate Modern in London and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In 1997, he represented Switzerland at the Venice Biennale. Provenance: Galerie Susanne Kulli, St. Gallen (with the gallery’s adhesive label on the reverse, bearing the work’s details) Galerie nächst St. Stephan, Vienna (purchased there in 1995) Private collection, Berlin - Please request condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog.