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2/11/2005

Sebastian Gogel

Galerie Adler, Frankfurt

Gmortox. Paintings, drawings and sculptur

Sebastian Gögel’s universe is populated by monstrous creatures, which on one hand emanate a miraculous, even child-like charm, on the other hand, however, look dark and menacing.

Sebastian Gögel’s paintings show animal-like creatures reminiscent of myths and legends that might themselves be protagonists of a saga. They posses dark aesthetics, exercising an attraction as strange as it is engrossing, similar to the impression of a dangerous but strangely bewitching underwater animal behind a thick aquarium window pane from which you just can’t take you eyes off. The latent aggressiveness resonating in the pictures emerges from emotion: “I feel like these creatures”, Gögel explains, “they are portraits of interpersonal subtleties.”

His figures grow out of themselves, are created without prior sketches. Aiming at the closest possible approach to his intuition, he coats the canvas in layers and layers of colour, each new brushstroke is like a confession of failure, covering something that should not exist like it does.

This way to approach motives intuitively is characteristic for the young Leipzig painter. Consequently, his paintings are many things at a time: beautiful, but creepy, calm but aggressive - the blue Collector, whose velvety outlines are silhouetted against the background like downy feathers and remind one of a dove’s or an angel’s wings, is crushing the heads of the small black figures it is holding in his hand.

The basic idea of simplifying complex structures and coherences but still permitting a wide range of possible interpretations can be found in Sebastian Gögels sculptural work alike, for instance in his 7 feet high “Dark Planet” and his strange interior. With his “intermediaries”, small, three-legged and long-nosed friendly figures made of rigid foam, he creates a simple but in this simplicity extremely comprehensive system for depiction of social relations. The seven edgeless figures looking “like huge key fobs”, are wild cards for any possible interpersonal screenshots and can be combined freely. Gögel makes one intermediary stand on the noses of three others and calls it “ Birthday”, makes one stand a little aside and calls it “Maverick”.

With the miraculous, partly almost child-like charm coming from Sebastian Gögel’s works, the young artist constructs that kind of allusions of a universal truth which is more to be felt than to be known, less even to be understood, but which in spite and because of this fascinates each generation anew and which to seek is an eternal and never-ending process - “for this”, Sebastian Gögel explains, “is what art is about - being immortal”.

Image: Sammler, 2005, oil/acrylic on canvas, 260 x 185cm

Opening reception: Thursday, Nov. 3rd, 2005, 7 p.m. The artist will be present.

Galerie Adler
Hanauer Landstraße 134 - Frankfurt
Opening Hours: Tue, Wed 3 to 6 p.m., Thu, Fri 12 to 7 p.m. Sat 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and upon appointment

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