Günther Förg (1952-2013)

In this series of five acrylic on wood paintings Günther Förg explores, in a serial fashion, the possibilities of juxtaposing just two colours. Following a seemingly restrictive format: a vertical panel divided into two horizontal bands, Förg is able to reveal the subtle differences that arise from his studied, but loose execution. Viewed closely the viewer finds that these paintings are in fact alive with Förg's masterful brushstrokes, which fill these otherwise strict geometric compositions with a mesmerising energy. Aesthetically, the monochromatic planes resonate with those of Mark Rothko or Barnett Newman. Yet, while artists such as Newman sought the universal, spiritual and mystical in their paintings, Förg is concerned with the tangible, physical and the material. In this sense, Förg is closer conceptually to Ad Reinhardt, who hoped to "purge painting of all its non-art content"; essentially, to create an artwork that "is just this and nothing else" (P. Schimmel, quoted in Günther Förg, exh. cat., Newport, Newport Harbor Art Museum, 1989, p. 13).