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18/11/2004

Gabriel Vormstein

Casey Kaplan Gallery, New York

SEEMS TO B: SODDISFACTION, INCOMPLECTION, PUTREFACTION

Casey Kaplan is pleased to announce, 'Seems to B: Soddisfaction, Incomplection, Putrefaction,' the first solo exhibition in New York of the Berlin-based artist, Gabriel Vormstein. For this show, Vormstein will present a body of new works on paper and two wall-based sculptures.

In his works on paper, Gabriel aligns sheets taken primarily from the financial section of the Frankfurter Allegmeine Zeitung newspaper (one of Germany's leading daily publications) as the backdrop for his watercolor and gouache images. The newspaper, considered a 'low' artistic material, is juxtaposed with a prestigious journal, challenging the aestheticization of 'high art.'

Utilizing both figurative and abstract imagery, Vormstein transforms the humble material of newspaper into poetically, melancholic pictures. The vibrantly-colored surfaces depict pictorial images-- ancient Egyptian iconography, floral motifs, and couples embracing-- alongside text, abstract shapes, and Minimalist forms. Vormstein references the work of the European Expressionists, specifically, the Viennese painters, Gustav Klimt, and Egon Schiele, subtly appropriating 'high art' imagery into his own visual language.

Culled from a variety of artistic and cultural sources, the artist cites the Arte Povera movement as a primary influence. In 1967 Italian art critic Germano Celant coined the phrase Arte Povera, literally meaning-- 'poor art'-- to describe an experimental approach to art using a spare and weathered aesthetic. Vormstein has chosen to use newspaper, a material that eventually dematerializes, as an apt representation of physical decay. Gradually over time, the works on paper transform into leaf-like forms. Likewise, Vormstein's wall-based sculptures are made from found objects--everyday materials, including tree branches, wire, tape, and twine. With the use of tree branches, also inclined to decompose, Vormstein contrasts the transitory nature of the materials with the symbolic nature and permanency of the artistic idea.

With all of the works in the exhibition, Vormstein illustrates a modern synthesis of various cultural and historical references that are interlaced with personal interests and influences. As consistent with the evolving nature of the works included in the show, the title of the exhibition explicitly refers to the artistic process-- the desired point of satisfaction-- and the subsequent reality of artistic failure and imperfection. Emphasized by different adapted symbols, styles, and references, Vormstein uses materials‹both organic and industrial‹to create ephemeral works with immense presence.

Gabriel Vormstein received his formal artistic training at the Stadium an der Staatlichen Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Karlsruhe, Germany. He was the recipient of the Kunstfonds Baden-Württemberg Award in 2003 and the Graduiertenstipendium des Landes Baden-Württemberg Award in 2002. Recent solo exhibitions include 'La Morte No Trapassa' at Meyer-Riegger Gallery in Karlsruhe, Germany in early 2004.

EXHIBITION DATES: NOVEMBER 19, 2004 ­ JANUARY 8, 2005
OPENING: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19th, 6 ­ 8 PM
GALLERY HOURS: TUESDAY ­ SATURDAY, 10 ­ 6 PM

FOR FURTHER EXHIBITION INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT THE GALLERY AT:
TEL. 212 645 7335 FAX. 212 645 7835

CASEY KAPLAN IS PLEASED TO PARTICIPATE IN ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH: DECEMBER 2-5 2004

NEXT GALLERY EXHIBITION: GOODBYE 14th STREET : JANUARY 14 ­ FEBRUARY 12, 2005

JEFF BURTON, NATHAN CARTER, MILES COOLIDGE, JASON DODGE, TRISHA DONNELLY, CEAL FLOYER, PAMELA FRASER, ANNA GASKELL, LIAM GILLICK, ANNIKA VON HAUSSWOLFF, CARSTEN HÖLLER, JONATHAN MONK, DIEGO PERRONE, SIMON STARLING, ANNIKA STRÖM, JOHANNES WOHNSEIFER

Casey Kaplan
416 West 14th Street
New York, NY 10014

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