Günther Förg: Constellations of Colour

Galerie Max Hetzler, London presents paintings on canvas and works on paper from 1990 to 2008 by Günther Förg (1952-2013). Bringing together works from Förg’s seminal Spot, Grid and Grey series, the exhibition foregrounds the artist’s celebration of colour and his experimentation with pigment, material and form. Offering an endless field of exploration, colour stands at the core of Förg’s practice, assuming the role of both medium and subject in the exhibited works. The show marks the gallery’s 21st solo exhibition of the artist’s work since 1984.

Exemplary of Förg’s late “Tupfenbilder” (Spot Paintings) series, the vibrant dabs and dashes of Untitled, 2007, reveal the artist’s conceptual approach to painting. The seemingly spontaneous gestural markings appear to float on a white ground, despite underlying a precise composition and calculated balance. The joyful effect of restless colour is also present in two works from Förg’s Aller Retour series, dating from 2008. Reminiscent of an artist’s palette and Impressionist landscapes, these polychromatic works contain a sensuality that Förg deemed necessary to a successful painting.