Heinrich Siepmann

About the work

One fascinating aspect of Heinrich Siepmann's work is that he defied categorisation as purely a cold and calculating rationalist. And it is this peculiarity of his creativity which informs this reductive painting from 1981. On the left of the canvas, a small black rectangle floats above a white ground, and is suspended compositionally by the black central band, the white segment to its immediate right and by the narrow white and black stripes along the top and bottom edges, respectively. This is a wonderfully balanced composition - sparse, lucid, and simple in its complexity. A seeming paradox - but therein lies the picture's fascination.
The works of Heinrich Siepmann facilitate easy access as the compositional devices deployed are emanently straightforward. Consequently, despite the rigid compositional structure, this affords him scope to generate a variety of atmospheres and emotions. As such, the art of this Mülheim-based artist reveals one of the existential secrets of our being: Despite the ostensible security of constructive systems, reality will always remain uncertain.
(Andrea Fink-Belgin)