telemark

Object: Exhibition / Duration: 17.5 - 22.6 / Year: 2018

The latest exhibition by Paul Kirps at Nosbaum Reding brings together a series of recent works in which the Luxembourg artist employs a variety of supports and techniques including acrylic on cutting mats, acrylic on wood, and acrylic and toner transfer on canvas. As in his previous series, he favours industrial and household materials, the hidden poetic essence of which he draws out through recomposition and recontextualisation.

Paul Kirps always works with frames and grids, juxtaposing solid colours and generating mental images. This exhibition is a continuation of his efforts, but ends with a freer note. For the artist, the title Telemark consists of a word game: "Tele", refering to obsolete electronic audio/video material and "mark" which indicates series or model numbers from a production line (Mark I, Mark II, Mark III). At the same time, winter sports enthusiasts will undoubtedly notice that the title of the exhibition also refers to one of the oldest skiing techniques, invented by a carpenter in Telemark County in Norway in 1868.
On closer inspection, some geometric motifs in this series may, despite their abstract nature, suggest mountains. For the first time, the artist introduces images (via toner transfer on canvas), which in this case evoke misty mountainous landscapes. Impressed by the meticulous preparation of mountaineers before the ascent and the extreme discipline required during such a feat, the artist pays homage to the mineral, to rock, to climbing and human endeavour. In this fascination with climbing and Alpine landscapes, one can see a parallel with the work of the artist, which is also synonymous with precision and technical accomplishment and is applied to constant research into the forms and objects around us.

To acquire original artwork or obtain
additional information, please contact the artist.

Photos: © Patty Neu