Daniel Richter: Stupor / Thaddaeus Ropac, London

The exhibition ”Daniel Richter: Stupor” at Thaddaeus Ropac in London presents new paintings by the German artist Daniel Richter. For his second solo show at Thaddaeus Ropac in London, he presents a group of paintings that portray biomorphic forms in a series of twisting poses. Daniel Richter's latest works are influenced by music and countercultures. Richter draws inspiration from Hanns Eisler's song 'Nightmare' as a response to McCarthyism, reflecting historical parallels in his politically charged artwork. Daniel Richter: Stupor at Thaddaeus Ropac in London runs until December 1, 2023.
Daniel Richter: Stupor / Thaddaeus Ropac, London Ely House, London (UK), Press preview, October 10, 2023.
#danielrichter #contemporaryart #london
Press text (excerpt): ‘The Eisler song is a sarcastic and bitter reminder that current events have their historic precursors,’ notes Richter. Choosing to illustrate his political concerns in an indirect manner, in these paintings the artist offers a turbulent treatment of the body. Sweeps of paint exceed the black lines of the figures, undermining the cohesion of the human form and suggesting its potential vulnerability to external forces as he oscillates between modes of abstract and figurative expression.
Since 2015, Richter has broken down compositional distinctions between background, foreground and subject to create renditions of the body in metamorphosis. While previous series of paintings drew upon visual source materials as diverse as pornography and a historic postcard of injured World War I soldiers, this new group of paintings echoes Richter’s observations of the world around him. As he describes, ‘it’s based on random sketches and notes, [an] old woman passing by, [a] child at the dentist, boys playing basketball, stuff like that.’ Appearing alone or in small groups, these knotted figures are articulated using strong, graphic black lines. Limbs, facial features and hunched torsos come in and out of focus amongst a swirl of brightly-coloured smears of paint. Set within vibrant red environments, the contorted forms that populate these works vibrate with an energy imparted through the artist’s bold palette and dynamic mark-making.
Understanding change to be an essential component for artistic evolution, in this exhibition Richter continues his stylistic experimentation with the flat backdrops of his earlier works. Here, his figures are depicted against a grey background that is then almost entirely covered by a layer of bright red paint, isolating the bodies within a sea of vibrant colour. In so doing, he reverses the painting process, laying down the background as one of the final stages of the work. Endlessly seeking new approaches to painting within his practice, he notes, ‘I think it’s good to change. I had milked the cow, now I am riding the pig.’ Embodying this investigative approach to artmaking, these works are as much experiments in colour, line and technique as figurative studies, carving out a distinct place within the artist’s wider oeuvre and the landscape of contemporary painting itself.
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Art TV pioneer Vernissage TV provides you with an authentic insight into the world of contemporary fine arts, design and architecture. With its two main series "No Comment" and "Interviews", art tv channel VernissageTV attends opening receptions of exhibitions worldwide, interviews artists, designers, architects. VTV provides art lovers with news, reports and features from the international art scene. VernissageTV: the window to the art world. Das Fenster zur Kunstwelt. La fenêtre sur le monde de l'art. A janela para o mundo da arte. La ventana al mundo del arte. نافذة على عالم الفن. 到艺术世界的窗口。Окно в мир искусства. Since 2005.

[@Azzadyum]

As always nice editing, thank you for the visit!

[@vernissagetv]

Thank you!!

[@simonlinke1]

The show is much better than it appears on camera. The red in particular looks plasticky on video whereas in person there is a sumptuous depth and richness complemented by the nuance of application and it's resulting facture. Facture, speed and the electricity of the colour relations are rather fabulous. The apparent similarity of the motifs and palette work incredibly well in the space across so many paintings by being simple and insistent. It establishes focus through consistency while establishing a sympathetic and resonant relationship with the building. That's the first time I've seen this gallery mount a show that looked resolved and confident as opposed to apologetic and art fair like in it's presentation.

[@nikolausgerszewski2086]

actually much better than the ones I saw in Venice 2 years ago.

[@dennisheile8075]

Das holt Alles für die nächsten 4 Dekaden ab... Stark.

[@miltwretzky]

Her hand at 4:25.

[@jeanclaudevivier7126]

???

[@andizhanstuey]

Hmmn...🤔 Bacon-ey...😬

[@jimknosp1]

It's all the same painting - and lose the red.

[@valterdigiacomo9544]

Apoteosi del colore. Colore e vibrazioni di colori insieme. Il senso e l interpretazione della pittura da chiedere all' artista