Six Paintings from Mr. Caplan
November 8, 2010 | by Katharina Grosse
Katharina Grosse is a German artist based in Berlin. We were captivated by her architectural shapes, and the vivid colors in her paintings. Her process is equally powerful: armed with a spray gun, she covers large canvasses, often close to seven feet heigh, with layers of paint. “I become a different being when I’m spraying,” she said in a recent interview. “I enlarge myself. I’m able to embrace far more than just my bodily presence. I would always start with these very intense yellows and greens and reds because I always assumed that that’s what’s underneath the surface. That’s how I see things. That’s how I see the world. The very strong and raw colors tend to attract or even repulse the viewer. They tend to create certain reactions in a very direct way. To be over-explicit with these raw colors is one of my intentions.” —Thessaly La Force
Untitled, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 84 3/4 x 57 3/4 inches
Untitled, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 84 1/4 x 56 1/2 inches
Untitled, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 83 1/2 x 57 inches
Untitled, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 84 x 58 inches
Untitled, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 79 1/4 x 53 1/4 inches
Untitled, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 79 1/4 x 53 1/4 inches
A exhibition of Grosse’s paintings is on display at the Christopher Grimes Gallery until January 8, 2011. It precedes her first major U.S. solo exhibition at MASS MoCA, which opens on December 22, 2010.
gayle alstrom | November 8, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Lovely colors and design. Is there suppose to be more than that?
Thessaly La Force | November 8, 2010 at 4:54 pm
There are more paintings at the Chistorpher Grimes Gallery, yes; and her solo show at MASS MoCA will be much more extensive. You can find more information at each of their Web sites.
canvas picture | October 13, 2011 at 7:27 am
Wow what lovely work, I really love the fith piece
Guy Benson | November 7, 2011 at 1:00 pm
Barry Schwabsky says she’s one of the best painters of the present. It’s hard to judge large pictures on a small screen. Still, I don’t think I can agree. It looks too familiar to be first rate; sponging, rollers, etc. on acrylic surfaces. Weren’t they doing that abour 40 years ago?