21/1/2010
Adrian Sauer
Klemm's, Berlin
In his '16.777.216 Farben' (16.777.216 colors), Sauer presents the whole palette of digital painting. The 16.777.216 different colors that the RGB-color space can generate with the additive model of color synthesis are ordered at random, not according to color spectrums. Instead of smooth transitions and fine chromatic difference, there is a flickering expanse of tiny color squares expressing the idea of the finitude of the space of digital color: what you see is all you get.
"In his '16.777.216 Farben' (16.777.216 colors), Adrian Sauer presents the whole palette of digital painting. The 16.777.216 different colors that the RGB-color space can generate with the additive model of color synthesis are ordered at random, not according to color spectrums. Instead of smooth transitions and fine chromatic difference, there is a flickering expanse of tiny color squares expressing the idea of the finitude of the space of digital color: what you see is all you get. With this gesture, Adrian Sauer designates his work as Verifiche, as new verifications of the material of photography 40 years after the pioneers of Bildanalytische Photographie (Analytical Photography).
In another work Sauer presents 'portraits' of books. The pictures were taken from various angles and in front of a neutral background. The interplay of the two views makes manifest the sculptural quality of the books, their solidity, while also showing their traces of use. This is the point where the carefully dosed paradox of Sauer’s way of representing becomes visible. Both the photo books and their backgrounds have become synthetic surfaces. The photographic grain from the original volume has been replaced by a digitally defined color gradation; the marks of real use have been replaced by the reconstructed signs of this use. Whereas the picture is set up to emphasize precisely the object character of the book, the treatment of the surface transforms the corporeal volumes into surrogates, similar to the empty covers standing in as real books on the shelves of big furniture stores.3 The images refer to titles which could just as easily be invented. Sauer chooses to subject standard works of contemporary photo theory to his process of digital re-composition by photographing and processing them in Photoshop. This is particularly significant because all three publications contain important essays on digital photography that have informed Sauer’s work. His images thus turn books into evidence of a media-historical process, partly through their sober appearance, partly through the reference to particular positions in theory and partly through the precarious nature of the reference itself, half photographic and half pictorial." (Florian Ebner)
The artist book "16.777.216 Farben" is published during the same time. Adrian Sauer compiles in three volumes works that have reflected and pointed to his interest for the conditions and effects of the disappearance of analogue photography for contemporary image culture and the effect of the use of digital images.
An artist talk with Adrian Sauer will take place in the gallery on February 23rd, 2010. He will discuss his works with Prof. Dr. Bernd Stiegler and Prof. Dr. Steffen Siegel. Bernd Stiegler teaches at University of Constance focusing on theory and history of photography. He has published various books with Suhrkamp and Wilhelm Fink publishing houses. Steffen Siegel is junior professor at University of Jena. He deals with the utilization of visualization in culture and science and has published with Wilhelm Fink publishing house as well. Florian Ebner, photography historian and director of the museum of photography in Braunschweig, will moderate the talk. He is also the author of the text in the artist book.
Artist talk: 02/23/2010, 7 p.m.
Opening: Friday, January 22nd, 2010 from 6-9 p.m.
KLEMM'S
Brunnenstrasse 7, Berlin
Tue-Sat 11-18 h
free admission