home IG: @_lucyartwork                                                            artwork  statement

gallery visits


     
^A collection live drawings from my gallery visits, including Killisch Klaus, Ayako Rokkaku, and Sighard Gille.



1. Killisch, Klaus, Der entfesselte Zuckermann, 1987, Hamburger Bahnhof- Museum für Gegenwart. [1]

I visited art galleries on an international study trip to Berlin with the university through my research on colour and form. Out of these many exhibitions, four artworks stood out to me the most as being relevant in my own art practice. Killisch Klaus’s 1987 Der entfesselte Zucherman (one of five paintings he donated to the Hamburger Bahnhof Museum) [2] intrigued me with his use of distortion and negative space. This painting- symbolising the artist’s connection to pop culture in the silent revolution of late 20th century Germany- [3] uses body language in a specific way that I believe will fit my image of adolescence well. For example, the exposure of the model’s body creates a sense of vulnerability quite relevant in these young, under-developed adults. I will bring this forward in my project, as I work with vibrant colour and embroidery (following on from my experimentation under Incomplete). 



2. Richter, Daniel, Jawohl und Gomorrah, 2001, Hamburger Bahnhof- Museumfür Gegenwart. Photo: Taken by me.

Furthermore, Daniel Richter’s 2001 Jawohl und Gomorrah leaned into these exaggerated colours and took it a step further with its scale, vibrancy, and chaotic detail. However, I intend to focus my artwork on one adolescent (as to centre on the psyche and loneliness that can consume adolescents). The disorderly nature of this painting- making each shape seem like its own puzzle piece fitting into the artwork- was another aspect of my trip to Berlin that stood out to me. The focus on each body as an abstract shape rather than an intricate study on portraiture and detail (centred towards the contemporary exploration of colour and patterns) provide a unique perspective to figurative art. Previously, a lot of my attention in portraiture went towards the face. However, throughout this project, I have been shifting my focus onto movement through our limbs.



4. Gille, Sighard, Fernsehfamilie, 1972,  Neue Nationalgalerie

The Julia Stoschek Collection- like many of the other exhibitions I attended in Berlin- were filled with incredible installations. In this case, this specific sculpture presents a man sat with his head in his hand seeming either thoughtful or hopeless. The holes in his body are symbolic of his hardache and this use of negative space in this 3D artwork was inspiring to me in relation to my project. A lot of my work had been considering how I play into the positive space with loud colours and shapes. However, this specific artwork, similar to my research on incompleteness, is an excellent example of how negative and positive spaces can work together. I created an inspired drawing using the statue as a secondary source as a part of my experimentation on Christina Quarles.



3. Sculpture from the Julia Stoschek Collection 2026, Berlin. Photo taken by me.

Fernsehfamilie by Sighard Gille is a painting I studied in a separate project of mine, looking into how Gille explored the social unrest of Germany during the rise of technology and the potential implications on family structures. Although the historical context of this artwork is not necessarily relevant to my project, the use of colour and brushwork is interesting in how it pokes fun at society and uses blue tones to draw attention ot the focal point at the bottom of the painting (the television). Furthermore, the blue illuminating from the television also appears to act as a spotlight for the faces, enhanced by their distorted features, and their body language and attention that is very much directed away from each other and towards the screen. This body language is something I have been exploring in my experimentation under Bodies and Incomplete but this specific artwork is different and a lot more dismissive in how he achieved this. Relating this to adolescents, a lot of Dijkstra’s photography also staged young people quite stiff, however, those positions were more awkward and aware of the audience (symbolic of how they can feel watched and self-conscious). Moving forward, I will be more intentional with my body language and colour and the layering of paint is a technique I will continue.
                                                                                

Bibliography


[1]Killisch, Klaus. “Nationalgalerie: A Collection for the 21st Century.” Klaus-killisch.de, 2026. https://www.klaus-killisch.de/nationalgalerie-a-collection-for-the-21st-century/.

[2]Killisch, Klaus. “Nationalgalerie: A Collection for the 21st Century.” Klaus-killisch.de, 2026. https://www.klaus-killisch.de/nationalgalerie-a-collection-for-the-21st-century/.

[3]Hanschke, Kevin, and Ingolf Kern. “‘I Had the Chance to Be Part of the Peaceful Revolution’: Interview with the Painter Klaus Killisch.” Spkmagazin.de, 2024. https://www.spkmagazin.de/en/i-had-the-chance-to-be-part-of-the-peaceful-revolution.html.

[back]