The Life of Forms. Works 1980 - 2008. The artist is working towards a universal 'global language of abstraction', bringing together ornamental elements from different parts of the world and diverse cultures - Arabic, Celtic, pre-Columbian, Asian, Japanese etc. - into a 'world ornament' on a square of canvas.
The exhibition surveys the entire oeuvre of American artist Philip Taaffe,
who was born in 1955 in New Jersey. Having first gained international
recognition in the early 1980s with the appropriation art movement, Taaffe
has combined his own conception of abstract art with an exploration of
ornamental imagery.
In this sense Philip Taaffe is working towards a
universal “global language of abstraction”, bringing together ornamental
elements from different parts of the world and diverse cultures – Arabic,
Celtic, pre-Columbian, Asian, Japanese etc. – into a “world ornament” on a
square of canvas. In his aesthetic research by way of “visual poems” and
“collective constructions” Taaffe delves deep into the history of forms and
styles, employing a variety of artistic techniques to create paintings with
elaborately layered surfaces. His works give insight into cultures around
the world, which as borrowed ornaments in Taaffe’s paintings repeatedly
enter into surprising dialogues. In a world dominated by globalization
tendencies, Taaffe proves himself to be a mediator between the various
cultures by emphasizing the respective singularity of each. This exhibition
is supported by Volkswagen Bank.
Until 6.04.2008
Araki, Miyamoto, Sugimoto
Contemporary Japanese Photography
Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg Germania
Hollerplatz 1
opening hours and admission
Wednesday - Sunday 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Tuesday 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Monday closed
Admission: EUR 6
Concessions: EUR 3
family ticket: EUR 12