Heinrich Siepmann - B 24 1997, 1997
Oil on canvas
70 x 50 cm / framed 80 x 59 cm
27 x 19 inch / framed 31 x 23 inch
monogrammed, dated at bottom left: “S 97”
– with studio frame –
N 9502
Heinrich Siepmann - B 24 1997, 1997
Oil on canvas
70 x 50 cm / framed 80 x 59 cm
27 x 19 inch / framed 31 x 23 inch
monogrammed, dated at bottom left: “S 97”
– with studio frame –
N 9502
About the work
Heinrich Siepmann belongs to the second generation of Constructivists in Germany, the creative work of which is distinguished by a reduced, geometrical vocabulary of form. Siepmann’s painting B 24 1997 from 1997 fascinates with the superimposition and adjacent placement of triangles, squares and rectangles in various gradations of grey, black and a reddish brown. The red square at the top centre of the painting draws the gaze directly to it and dominates the action. The entire composition is defined by the diagonal, in which the various forms permeate on the canvas. Constructivism principally forsakes a perspectival illusion of space, but spatiality is nonetheless suggested here through the superimposition of the forms. The pronounced diagonal movement is balanced by a vertical accent at the lower right edge of the painting. Siepmann’s work is also distinguished by the painterly aspect. Although the forms are organised strictly geometrically, the brushwork and minimal overpainting remain evident. The creative process is apparent. Siepmann comprehends the horizontal and vertical as the reality behind the directly visible world, in which it is of key importance to find the equilibrium between the polarities. In this work, the artist is successful in a fascinating way in intensifying the energy-charged, diagonal basic composition even further with red accents.
Text authored and provided by Dr Andrea Fink, art historian
The art historian, curator and freelance publicist Andrea Fink studied art history, cultural studies and humanities, modern history and philosophy in Bochum and Vienna. Doctorate in 2007 on the work of the Scottish artist Ian Hamilton Finlay. As a freelance curator and art consultant, her clients include, among others, the Kunstverein (art association) Ahlen, Kunstverein Soest, Wella Museum, Museum am Ostwall Dortmund, ThyssenKrupp AG, Kulturstiftung Ruhr, Osthaus Museum Hagen, Franz Haniel GmbH, Kunsthalle Krems, Austria.