Marking his first show in London, Kashya Hildebrand is pleased to announce Spectrum of Light, a solo exhibition of new works by Austrian painter Robert Schaberl. At the centre of the artist’s practice is an alchemical investigation of colour and the way in which it behaves. He pushes the boundaries of our knowledge about the properties of colour and its interaction with light, and, ultimately, the viewer. Without light there is no colour, yet here, Schaberl reminds us of the importance of the viewer and their perspective. The sophistication and complexity of the work suggests that the viewer plays an integral role in its interpretation.
In Spectrum of Light we are presented with Schaberl’s Zentralformen, circular works that allow colours to dance across the canvas, less like beams of light, more akin to flashes of lightning, iridescent and fleeting, crackling across smooth planes of colour. They are comprised of thousands upon thousands of concentric circles built layer upon layer, one on top of the other. They radiate out from the centre of a circle like an infinitely expanding colour field. Schaberl’s interest in colour – and its subsequent interplay with light – stems from a long-term fascination with movement. Schaberl works with Iriodin – an industrial pearl lustre pigment used in everything from car manufacturing to the cosmetics industry. The combination of the Iriodin with paint pigments allows for a subtle yet infinite spectrum of colour, allowing the viewer a variety of perspectives. The final result is similar to light dancing across the surface and a gradual fluctuation of colour, rather akin to the sheen of a CD or LP record. In Spectrum of Light, Schaberl’s works have a new, even more intricate, modulation of colour. The colour pulses outwards from the centre of each perspective to the painting.
Schaberl experiments with space and depth to challenge preconceived notions of light, refraction and colour. As he explains “you can witness the viewer trying to readjust their sense of perception and the stored associations they have with colour, painting, light, surface and material.” For Schaberl the ultimate goal is to get people to interact with his work. In this sense, with these Zentralformen¸ all viewers will see different colour within the work, depending on their position. For Schaberl, this is precisely what he is trying to achieve – a moment in time between the artwork and the viewer, a connection during which the painting reveals itself within a spectrum of dancing, refracting light.
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Robert Schaberl
Robert Schaberl studied at the University Mozarteum in Salzburg from 1979-85, after which he spent time in the United States (1985-86) and Berlin (1997-2000). Since then he has lived and worked in Vienna. Schaberl applies 50-70 razor thin layers of multi-colored pigments to each painting. The use of specialized Iriodin pigments endows the paintings with an elusive depth and mesmerizing quality: the colors keep changing depending on the observer’s point of view. His paintings have been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums, most notably in Austria, Germany, France, the USA and Costa Rica. His work is also represented in several major collections: the Museum Neue Galerie, Graz; the collection of the City of Vienna; the Museum Liaunig Kärnten, the collection of the State of Austria; the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education and the Arts; and the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation, Los Angeles.
Kashya Hildebrand
The gallery's artists challenge pre-conceived notions of nationality and cultural identity, creating an environment in which established norms become blurred and characterizations from seemingly contrasting cultures occupy the same visual space. This juxtaposition leads to a simultaneous renunciation and acceptance of the traditional and the contemporary, creating an environment that is in constant flux. Religion, politics, nationality and culture are treated as the foundation of identity, depicted and disseminated to varying degrees. Through painting, collage, sculpture, photography and installation work the artists convey the contestations of the contemporary political landscape.
Exhibition:
Robert Schaberl: Spectrum of Light
Location:
Kashya Hildebrand, 22 Eastcastle Street London W1W 8DE, UK Telephone: +44 (0)20 3588 1195
Dates:
26 February — 29 March, 2014 at Kashya Hildebrand Gallery, London, UK
Private Preview:
Wednesday, 26 February, 2014, 6-8 p.m.
Hours:
Monday – Friday 11am – 6pm, Saturday 12 – 6 pm
Admission is free
For press information and images, please contact:
Anna Wallace-Thompson
+44 (0)20 3588 1195
anna@kashyahildebrand.org
www.kashyahildebrand.org
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