Philipp Kremer
Soft People
27 Apr - 25 Jun 2017
Philipp Kremer’s paintings are conflict-laden – not only in the subject matter, but also on a formal level, and in the interplay between the two. In his formal approach he often seems to oppose the narrative element, like choosing colors randomly when showing a utopian community, or approaching the subject of an orgy as if it was a monochrome abstract painting. While all his subjects, be it girls with horses, communes, crying or sex, are social situations, and as such, issues of power are an important element, in his most recent series Soft People they become the main focus.
After Gatherings, where a group of people is shown harmoniously engaging in sexual acts, Soft People is portraying humans in scenes of physical violence and domination. Two, at most three or four people or bodies interact in oppressive power relations, in a context that remains mostly unspecific. The paintings are executed with bright colors and light gestures on white canvas, which makes them appear playful and almost seems to insist on highlighting the joyful aspect of painting.
The provocation lies in the question of why to bring lightness and violence together: If choosing to depict something means giving it a certain affirmative importance, and painting something means engaging with it emotionally, how is it possible to paint something hurtful, without finding pleasure somewhere in the process? Hence, the paintings need to be executed with joy, and artist and viewer find themselves in the perverted situation of having to deal with the joyful and the hurtful at the same time.
Philipp Kremer (*1981) lives and works in Berlin. He studied at the Universität der Künste in Berlin with Georg Baselitz (2000-2004) and was a resident at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam (2011-2012). Recent solo exhibitions include Nicodim Gallery, Los Angeles and Bucharest; Kazachenko’s Apartment, Oslo; Apice for Artists, Amsterdam and Galerie Lena Brüning, Berlin. In 2013 he won the Royal Dutch Painting Award. In 2014 he was granted the support by the Mondriaan Fund (Stipendium Established Artist).
After Gatherings, where a group of people is shown harmoniously engaging in sexual acts, Soft People is portraying humans in scenes of physical violence and domination. Two, at most three or four people or bodies interact in oppressive power relations, in a context that remains mostly unspecific. The paintings are executed with bright colors and light gestures on white canvas, which makes them appear playful and almost seems to insist on highlighting the joyful aspect of painting.
The provocation lies in the question of why to bring lightness and violence together: If choosing to depict something means giving it a certain affirmative importance, and painting something means engaging with it emotionally, how is it possible to paint something hurtful, without finding pleasure somewhere in the process? Hence, the paintings need to be executed with joy, and artist and viewer find themselves in the perverted situation of having to deal with the joyful and the hurtful at the same time.
Philipp Kremer (*1981) lives and works in Berlin. He studied at the Universität der Künste in Berlin with Georg Baselitz (2000-2004) and was a resident at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam (2011-2012). Recent solo exhibitions include Nicodim Gallery, Los Angeles and Bucharest; Kazachenko’s Apartment, Oslo; Apice for Artists, Amsterdam and Galerie Lena Brüning, Berlin. In 2013 he won the Royal Dutch Painting Award. In 2014 he was granted the support by the Mondriaan Fund (Stipendium Established Artist).