Christoph Schmidberger
In the Blink of an Eye
March 31 – May 12, 2007
Opening Reception: Saturday, March 31, 5-7pm
Mark Moore Gallery
2525 Michigan Avenue, A1
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Tel: 310.453.3031
Fax: 310.453.3831
http://www.markmooregallery.com
Mark Moore Gallery is pleased to announce new paintings and drawings from acclaimed young artist Christoph Schmidberger. Schmidberger’s brand of hyperrealism depicts a reality that is far more lurid and intense than the world we inhabit ever could be, a world rendered sinister through its very perfection. His subjects are often displayed in a state of undress, simultaneously exposed and flaunting themselves; as spectators we are never quite sure if we are witnessing something we should not. These youthful bodies often stare out at us as they lounge in the canvas, their coy, languid gaze at once inviting and abject, both alluring and disconcerting. At times the disquieting element is blatantly depicted in the scene, but more often than not, it emerges as a feeling, an instinct, as if Schmidberger has caught the moment just before any imperfection is revealed. The effect almost causes the viewer /voyeur to avert their eyes; as if they might see something they don’t want to, forever ruining the illusion of Schmidberger’s irresistible and seductive world.
Everyday occurrences are rendered significant through the isolation, the clarity and that certain coldness that define one’s view of them. It is no longer the object […] that determines its significance, but rather the view of it.
Guenther Holler-Schuster
Christoph Schmidberger attended the Higher Technical College of Graphic Arts from 1989 – 1994 in Graz, in his native Austria. He then went on to receive his BFA and MFA from the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna. He has exhibited his work extensively throughout the United States and Europe, in both solo and group exhibitions. His paintings are included in numerous prestigious collections, such as LACMA, the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, and the Saatchi Collection (London). Schmidberger lives and works in Los Angeles.
For more information on this artist or the opening event, please contact the gallery at 310.453.3031, info@markmooregallery, or http://www.markmooregallery.com
Project Room
Christoph Schirmer and Aurelia Gratzer
Galerie Brunnhofer, Linz, Austria
March 31 – May 12, 2007
Opening Reception: Saturday, March 31, 5-7pm
Mark Moore Gallery is pleased to announce works by Christoph Schirmer and Aurelia Gratzer, in conjunction with Brunnhofer Gallery in Linz, Austria.
Schirmer’s paintings are a seemingly chaotic burst of color and form, from which emerge words, sci-fi images and pop icons. With this visual assault Schirmer creates Aleph-like visions where the past, future, present, space, reality and fiction all collide and exist simultaneously. In contrast, Gratzer’s work verges on realism. Her paintings depict minimalist interiors as abstract wedges of color, as though she is paring down reality to the bear minimum. The result appears like a photo negative, blocks of color and solid line punctuated by the occasional twisting vine or loose brush stroke.
Christoph Schirmer and Aurelia Gratzer both received MFAs from The Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, Austria. They have exhibited widely throughout Europe, often in the same shows in Austria; both were included in the 2003 Istanbul Student Triennial. Schirmer has exhibited numerous times in Germany and Gratzer in Ukraine. This show at Mark Moore Gallery will be the first time exhibiting in the United States for both artists.
For more information on these artists or the opening event, please contact the gallery at 310.453.3031, info@markmooregallery, or http://www.markmooregallery.com.
