Katharina Grosse

The internationally recognised German artist Katharina Grosse (* 1961, Freiburg DE) is best known for her large-scale in-situ works. However, Grosse also uses her distinctive method of applying paint to create smaller artworks on paper, canvas and occasionally styrofoam too. She uses industrial spray paint guns and brushes to apply layer upon layer of paint, resulting in vibrant, radiant fields of colour that interact dynamically with each other.

The suggestion of movement is important in her work. Looking at one of Grosse's abstract paintings, the viewer may be reminded of a snapshot. It is almost as if a moving image or rays of light have suddenly come to a halt and been captured in paint. As foreground and background fight for attention, the artist's feel for spatiality and architectural gestures becomes apparent. The rhythm of Grosse's paintings and sculptures can stop passers-by in their tracks to take a closer look. These works invite the viewer to let their gaze wander over the fusion of shapes and colours, not necessarily with the intention of focusing on any one aspect or element but rather of trying to grasp the composition as a whole.