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 Herbert Volkmann: Tu's für Van Gogh, Baby. 2010 – 2011, oil on canvas, 80 x 100 x 2 cm. Photo: Jochen Littkemann The German artist Herbert Volkmann presents new paintings and selected works at Galleri Tom Christoffersen. The exhibition “Tu's für Van Gogh, Baby” is his first solo exhibition in Scandinavia. The new paintings play visual aesthetics circulated in contemporary culture already, and thereby carry elements recognizable to most: A paparazzi snapshot of a car passing by, which captures a close-up of powerful and glamorous people who look consciously into the camera. Displaced into the dense paintings by Volkmann this momentary, direct and depersonalized eye contact involves the visitor of the gallery. The artistic strategy of Herbert Volkmann is confrontational and engages politically charged subjects as well as selfpresentation. He draws upon recent history and refers to radical phenomena e.g. former punk bands and combines these common points of references with everyday objects such as razorblades and syringes – elements which could easily point to his own past. Autobiographical twists like this ad a highly psychological and expressive dimension to the well known and all of a sudden what seemed like common ground turns into more hermetic matter. Most works by Herbert Volkmann reflect knowledge about social mechanisms - especially power structures and double standards - as he embraces what most people try to keep at the very fringe of their lives. Confronted with the collectively repressed the paintings appear as an ecstasy of counter-culture turned very concrete through the underlying sense of extreme violence - be it psychological or physical. Masterpieces such as "Endstation Sehnsucht" (2002) and "Nazis on Speed I" (2008) will be presented at the solo show. Galleri Tom Christoffersen wishes to thank the loaners. Works by Herbert Volkmann are Courtesy Vittorio Manalese, Berlin. Herbert Volkmann (1954) graduated from the former HDK Berlin in 1978. He studied in the master classes of professors Bachmann /Bergmann and was later inspired by Beuys to work with other mediums than painting. This led to several performances in Berlin, Cologne, Zurich and Bologna in 1978. After a break from the art scene of 20(!) years Volkmann became an ambitious art collector, who is known for at an early stage to collect works by Raymond Pettibon, Matthew Barney, Jonathan Meese, Franz Ackermann, and Daniel Richter. His collection was shown under the title "Sammlung Volkmann zeigt: Faustrecht der Freiheit" in several art institutions. In 1999 Herbert Volkmann began to work as an artist again. Important exhibitions counts e.g.: DIE MORPHINISTEN, solo at Galerie Volker Diehl, Berlin (DE,2008), Gebt den wilden Männern Frieden (with Jonathan Meese) Laden für Nichts, Leipzig, (DE, 2007). Herbert Volkmann is represented in collections such as Sammlung Falckenberg. The artist is represented by Vittrorio Manalese, Berlin.  installation view & selected works |
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Installation View Herbert Volmann: Tu's für Van Gogh, Baby Galleri Tom Christoffersen, 2011 |
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Installation View Herbert Volmann: Tu's für Van Gogh, Baby Galleri Tom Christoffersen, 2011 |
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Installation View Herbert Volmann: Tu's für Van Gogh, Baby Galleri Tom Christoffersen, 2011 |
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Herbert Volkmann Die Fliege/König und Königin, von schnellen Akten umgeben 2010 – 2011 oil on canvas 78.5 x 97.5 x 4 cm Photo: Jochen Littkemann |
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Herbert Volkmann The return of the dead Kennedys 2010 – 2011 oil and mixed media collage on canvas 65 x 81 x 5.5 cm Photo: Jochen Littkemann |
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Herbert Volkmann Nazis on Speed I 2008 oil on canvas 70 x 110 cm Photo: Jochen Littkemann Private Collection |
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Herbert Volkmann Untitled 2010 pencil on newspaper 57 x 65,5 cm |
HERBERT VOLKMANN (DE)
