THOMAS SCHEIBITZ (B. 1968)

'THE RECURRING FLOWER/TREE MOTIF WORKS COMPOSITIONALLY IN PRECISELY THE WAY THAT CONSTABLE DEPLOYED SMALL FIGURES WITHIN THE LANDSCAPE. YET DESPITE THIS RELATIONSHIP TO HISTORY AND SWEEPING GESTURES THERE IS NOT EVEN A REMOTE SENSE OF ANY SUBLIMITY, AS IN FRIEDRICH OR ROTHKO. THERE IS NO SPLITTING OF THE PRACTICE OF PAINTING INTO EITHER NATURE (ABSTRACT) OR PHOTOGRAPH AS IS RICHTER. THERE IS NO UNCANNY CONTENT OR CONSTRUCTION AS IN LUC TUYMANS. THERE IS INSTEAD A DISTINCT FORMAL LOGIC THAT BREAKS THE CANVAS DOWN TO GRIDS AND BLOCKS, SOMETIMES ENDING IN A DIFFERENT KIND OF PAINTING WHICH IS MORE LIKE DESIGN' (E. DEXTER, 'KEEP OUT: THE PAINTING OF THOMAS SCHEIBITZ,' IN THOMAS SCHEIBITZ LOW SWEETIE, EXH. CAT., LONDON, 1999, P. 2).