At the beginning of Sternheim’s artistic
work the focus of interest was dominated by the mystic aura of - at
least in terms of earth-history - „young“, archaic landscapes like
those of Iceland, which were chosen and looked up for the purpose
of stocktaking and documentation for later pictorial conversion. The
uncanny and unique tracks-leaving power of earthforming forces, like
lava stream, bubbling mud and hot springs of sulfur and geysers thus
coin the images of the years between 1980 and 1986.
Yet in these paintings the artist’s attention is increasingly focused
on ORIGINS, the quality of TIME and its three dimensions
- past, present and future.
Mysterious SIGNS, which contain a factor of IRRITATION,
move into the focal point of representation. This moment of irritation
is emphasized at the same time by the way its appearance - frequently
defined by glowing light - is linking aspects, which must be identified
as originated in the past in an ambivalent way to others, which
can be regarded as future-oriented or future-taken as well.
The IRRITATION, which develops that way attempting
to associate these signs and symbols, is absolutely intended and
is strengthened by consciously contrasting archaic relics, traces
and totemlike figurations with details obviously taken from the
present, like the specific shining of light which calls to mind
the gleaming of ionized gas of cathode radiation during some experimental
arrangement of recent physics.
This consciously produced polarization between the past, the present
and perhaps the future finds its formal correspondence in almost
photo-realistically executed items contrasting details apparently
developed coincidentally.
Various traces of painting-action,
scratching-traces and calligraphic parts of lines, together with
clearly defined, realistic items create a platform, on which „realism“
struggles with „abstraction“, the real with the unreal, the old
with the new, photographic sharpness with unsharpness e.g. for the
sake of „BALANCE“.
SYMBOLS
Starting from ca.1990 the iconographic fundus is extended
by perception-details taken from an ocean of symbols surrounding
us, not yet interceding the creative process tremendously, but nevertheless
serving as optical glossary-word-givers.
Led to a new, changed field of reference, these symbols fulfill
the function of archaeological findings of an culture-historical
epoch, which is not defined temporally.
Now more and more the works are conceived
as metaphorical memorials against the load of optical garbage, which
dominates our visual field of perception, memorials against the
aesthetic imperialism of meaningless video-clips, which - in their
omnipresence - are leading to an increasing loss of speech.
Mythic and Mysterious, Archaic and Sketched, which point
out atavistic objects and actions, refer to the very ancient and
call forth remembrance of historic cultures, which disappeared a
long time ago, above and beyond all, yet leaving open questions
about its biomorphic or technomorphic „origin“, about its reference
to the present and about the possible visionary view of the future
- is adressed to those people, who - against the demands of time
- take much of this time to unriddle the substantial contents of
magic images.
The spectrum of applied techniques leads from water-color
on mould-made paper and cardboards over rare attempts in old-masterly
resin oil glaze-technique on most diverse image carriers to acrylic
painting on cardboard, wood and canvas, combined with minimum application
of Airbrush, which finally offered all options for the conversion
of imagination to image in an ideal way.
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