4 June–26 July 2013
Galerie Ernst Hilger
Dorotheergasse 5
1010 Vienna, Austria
michael.kaufmann [at] hilger.at
On June 4, 2013 we opened the exhibition Josef Felix Müller – Abend with monumental oil paintings exploring the theme “Abend” (evening) and sculptures from the series “Sternbilder” (constellations).
The Swiss artist Josef Felix Müller is one of the most exciting and interesting painters of his generation. His work has been exhibited at institutions such as Museum Folkwang, Essen; Museum for Fine Arts Houston, Texas; Kunsthaus Zurich; Rupertinum Salzburg; Lucerne Arts Museum; Kunstverein Mannheim; Museum of Contemporary Art, Basel and are included in many important private and public collections such as Sammlung Ludwig, UBS Collection, Siemens Art Collection, Collection Foundation for Representational Art Zurich, Swiss National Bank Collection, Collection Bank Lambert, Brussels; Flemish Community Collection, Brussels and Collection Hauser and Wirth, Zurich/London.
Artist’s statement: Abend (Evening)—paintings
For me, evening moods are phenomena that fascinate everyone. Through the representation of a moment memories appear and the image continues to be painted in the mind. Through an intense observation of nature and the transformation into paintings I have made many to language elusive experience in the last 13 years. The shapes and colours have been deposited like segments in me. The rhythm of the painting, the being deep in the painting and then stepping back, is a continuous motion. This process has allowed me to recognize depth and at the same time to find distance. For me it is important not to be captured by detail, but to open our eyes to the whole picture. Maybe it is so that these evening paintings reveal much more about my emotional state and my feelings, as was the case with other series I’ve created. On those days, where the sky turns a multitude of colours, I realize that nature has a strong pictorial power. A coloured evening sky is like a window, a colourful universal kaleidoscope. The large scale of the canvases underline the strong sense of personal smallness and finitude.
Artist’s statement: “Sternbilder” (Constellations)—sculptures
People have revered constellations since ancient times. They served as a mean of orientation in the sky and are a visible sign of the universe. Constellations contain much symbolic power and are reinterpreted again and again depending on context. They point to inaccessible places and have wonderful names. In my constellations I have always invented a new and very own star placed loosely in the universe. I playfully completed my artistic work and therefore good thoughts will be sent into the universe. As a sculptor, I create stars. As a painter, I can let it snow or colour the night sky. As a thinking man I can dream and make dreams come true.
