Olaf Quantius
30 Jun - 04 Aug 2012
OLAF QUANTIUS
30 June - 4 August 2012
In 1869, anatomist Alexander Ecker (1816-1887) defined the terminology of the "brain lobes". This refers to the division of the human brain, valid until this day, into six "lobes". Each of these brain lobes is attributed a specific task. The frontal lobe, for example, is the centre of coordinating motion sequences and appears to be basically responsible for the features of one's personality; the occipital lobe is the visual centre, among others, and memory functions are attributed to the limbic node. The complex interplay between the individual brain lobes determines the evaluation and interpretation of reality as well as our actions.
In an associative manner, Olaf Quantius' new paintings are the result of this interplay and depict the image constructed on the subjective inside as a reaction to external reality. What characterizes Olaf Quantius' painting is the broad range of fragments between figurative and abstract painting that the viewer experiences as a continuous interpenetration of narrative memory and non-verbal empathy. Uncoupled from the classical medium of the canvas, painting in the current series "Hirnlappen" is done on found military felt wool blankets. However, it is no longer possible to determine the nation after they have been used as a painting ground. In contrast to this "statelessness", a felt wool blanket, as a minimal architectural object, already defines a place, and wool, as a material, tells of a "warming cover". But this security is "shattered" by Olaf Quantius' painting. Employing a template-like positive-negative method, fields of acrylic and oil paint cover the felt ground, which appears in clear contours between abstract spills, spots, and fragments of landscapes and architecture. While in earlier series such as "orten" and "nomad painting" Olaf Quantius' painting still represented parts of illusionistic image spaces, his new painting method in the current series formulates a haptic surface that at the same time gives the impression of a "virtual" one, comparable to a digital code, which could be altered or pushed "to the side". This fleetingness reflects the contemporary perception of "information noise" in which ever new realities manifest themselves simultaneously. In contrast, the felt wool blanket appearing from underneath the painting articulates a form of "rootedness" that appears like a condensation of nostalgic longings. If one again relates this to the title of the series, "Hirnlappen (Brain Lobes)", they also become "painter lobes", shreds of reality on the wall.
Olaf Quantius was on view with a solo show at the Saarlandmuseum Saarbrücken in 2010. He has participated in numerous international exhibitions including "Unsichtbare Schatten" at the MARTA Herford Museum, "...aus einem malerischen Land", HangART Salzburg, and "Beyond the Country", Lewis Glucksman Gallery University College, Cork in Ireland.
30 June - 4 August 2012
In 1869, anatomist Alexander Ecker (1816-1887) defined the terminology of the "brain lobes". This refers to the division of the human brain, valid until this day, into six "lobes". Each of these brain lobes is attributed a specific task. The frontal lobe, for example, is the centre of coordinating motion sequences and appears to be basically responsible for the features of one's personality; the occipital lobe is the visual centre, among others, and memory functions are attributed to the limbic node. The complex interplay between the individual brain lobes determines the evaluation and interpretation of reality as well as our actions.
In an associative manner, Olaf Quantius' new paintings are the result of this interplay and depict the image constructed on the subjective inside as a reaction to external reality. What characterizes Olaf Quantius' painting is the broad range of fragments between figurative and abstract painting that the viewer experiences as a continuous interpenetration of narrative memory and non-verbal empathy. Uncoupled from the classical medium of the canvas, painting in the current series "Hirnlappen" is done on found military felt wool blankets. However, it is no longer possible to determine the nation after they have been used as a painting ground. In contrast to this "statelessness", a felt wool blanket, as a minimal architectural object, already defines a place, and wool, as a material, tells of a "warming cover". But this security is "shattered" by Olaf Quantius' painting. Employing a template-like positive-negative method, fields of acrylic and oil paint cover the felt ground, which appears in clear contours between abstract spills, spots, and fragments of landscapes and architecture. While in earlier series such as "orten" and "nomad painting" Olaf Quantius' painting still represented parts of illusionistic image spaces, his new painting method in the current series formulates a haptic surface that at the same time gives the impression of a "virtual" one, comparable to a digital code, which could be altered or pushed "to the side". This fleetingness reflects the contemporary perception of "information noise" in which ever new realities manifest themselves simultaneously. In contrast, the felt wool blanket appearing from underneath the painting articulates a form of "rootedness" that appears like a condensation of nostalgic longings. If one again relates this to the title of the series, "Hirnlappen (Brain Lobes)", they also become "painter lobes", shreds of reality on the wall.
Olaf Quantius was on view with a solo show at the Saarlandmuseum Saarbrücken in 2010. He has participated in numerous international exhibitions including "Unsichtbare Schatten" at the MARTA Herford Museum, "...aus einem malerischen Land", HangART Salzburg, and "Beyond the Country", Lewis Glucksman Gallery University College, Cork in Ireland.