@Armory ’13: Johannes Heisig’s Oozing Color

Two figures eerily creep through a scene, with a strong sense of light shooting up at them. Dark shadows are cast behind everything that catches the light, and within one of the corners sits a sculpted portrait bust, whose giant face looms like the Ghost of Performances Past. His nose is broken and his mouth is twisted, and the space behind his head is the only part painted black – an ominous warning against the dangers of acting, cautioning how much of your own self that might be forfeited in the desire to become someone else on stage.

And even though the subject matter may lean towards the creepy, the colors are anything but – bright oranges and whites against a pale green background, colors painted so thick that they become autonomous, living on their own within the 63 x 79 inches of canvas, bleeding and oozing but with enough restraint for detail. There’s a strong sense of the artist’s hand across a floor that’s painted in lines mimicking the light’s direction. But the walls and clothes seem to glow from the color within them, somehow shiny and organic at the same time.

"Performance" by Johannes Heisig, 2012

“Performance” by Johannes Heisig, 2012

 

Also on view in Heisig’s booth on the Modern Art pier was a triptych of sorts – three watery interpretations of himself, each numbered as a different “Selbstbetrachtung” or “Self Reflection.” Each utilizes a distinct color palette and emphasizes a different part of the artist’s face – the first focuses on his nose, the second on his head/ear, and the third on his mouth and chin, as if he painted three different still frames from one good head shaking. They could be three totally different people, and shown altogether they play with the ideas of how drastically the way we view ourselves changes from day to day and hour to hour.

The artist stares right at you in the middle portrait – his head swimming in bright colors that highlight the fleshiness of his skin that’s even painted a burning red/orange in some places. His eyes look out disapprovingly, his mouth puckered in a grimace as if he’s judging your outfits or your bad habits from within the frame. If you look closely, you can see each individual stroke of the artist’s brush – they seem random and chaotic, but somehow take a few steps back and they come together  to become an impassioned kind of melting impressionism.

 

DSC01049

Heisig’s “Selbstbetrachtung” or “Self Reflections”

 

Johannes Heisig, 60, has been described as a social realist painter working in subjective expressionism. From Germany, he’s painted a number of German politicians and also works in graphic design and illustration. His artwork has been shown throughout Europe since the early 80s, and at the Armory Show he was represented by Die Galerie in Frankfurt. 

 

"Selbstbetrachtung I (Self Reflection I), 2010.

“Selbstbetrachtung I (Self Reflection I), 2010.

 

See more from Johannes Heisig on his website

 

 

Real Women: March 11

Art would exist so differently now if we didn’t have women to inspire it. Even sensitive undertones within the harshest paintings calm the piece as a whole. Soft skin, wide eyes, and flowing hair make for an aesthetic image, so portraits of beautiful women done well will always be beautiful. Women and art went hand in hand for the longest time because both largely existed just to look at.

But in a society where the intellectually evolved recognize a woman’s worth, these paintings from the past take on more meaning than a simple pretty picture or pretty person. What about her life is lost to history when just the image of what she looked like survives? If these women were around today, what would they be able to contribute now? How much knowledge did the world miss out on because it took so long for so many groups of people to prove their equality?

Goya. "Portrait of Doña Isabel de Porcel," 1805. Image via Jaded Mandarin.

Goya. “Portrait of Doña Isabel de Porcel,” 1805.
Image via Jaded Mandarin.

Pierre Auguste Renoir. "Julie Manet" also known as "Child with cat," 1887 Oil on canvas.  Image via Mata Mua.

Pierre Auguste Renoir.
“Julie Manet” also known as “Child with cat,” 1887
Oil on canvas.
Image via Mata Mua.

Sir Joshua Reynolds. "Mrs. Susanna Hoare and Child," 1763.  Image via Jaded Mandarin.

Sir Joshua Reynolds. “Mrs. Susanna Hoare and Child,” 1763.
Image via Jaded Mandarin.

Frederick Leighton. “Gulnihal," 1886.  Image via High-Five Anyone?

Frederick Leighton. “Gulnihal,” 1886.
Image via High-Five Anyone?

Charles Cromwell Ingham. Detail from "The Flower Girl," 1846. Image via Jaded Mandarin.

Charles Cromwell Ingham. Detail from “The Flower Girl,” 1846.
Image via Jaded Mandarin.