An Idea in Drawing and Form

 


Walter Angerer-Niketa (1940-2021)
John Carter
Roland Goeschl (1932-2016)
Karl Kriebel
Christiane Reiter
Bogumila Strojna
 

on view: 25/04/2025 - 04/06/2025

The two-dimensional representation of an idea can serve as a precursor to a spatial solution, but it can also provide an entirely independent new interpretation of the same concept. The various approaches and possible nuances in between are what we aim to illustrate with "An Idea in Drawing and Form."

Walter Angerer-Niketa always examined an existential phenomenon in his geometric reductions, initially in two dimensions. Construction lines through marbled gray-tone surfaces incorporate space into his gouaches, making it transparent and visible, yet not dissolvable. In sculpture, Angerer's reflections sometimes led to entirely independent forms—forms that are always in the process of rising, of moving forward.

Basic shapes like the square serve as the starting point for John Carter’s compositional forms. The repetition of a shape, its slight distortion, changes in size, overlapping, and color gradation result in the distinctive aesthetic of his work. John Carter first envisions this puristic web of forms in flat designs and graphics. In the objects, the deformed, nested parts reveal gaps and omissions. Minimalism with depth.

A sculptor like Roland Goeschl almost always thinks in spatial terms, which is why his paper works alternated with his work on sculptures. The resulting pieces sometimes have a sketch-like quality, quickly capturing an idea, but also a concretely thought-out, model-like precision. Goeschl always incorporated movement and chance into his concrete, geometric works, giving his art a certain enigmatic quality.

Lines of varying widths and shades of gray, subtly enhanced by color fields, evoke fictional deconstructivist glass architecture on a single plane. These are spatial images composed of lines and surfaces. Karl Kriebel takes this third dimension in two-dimensional form a step further by painting over cubic shapes with his illusion of glass space. An apparent minimalist transparency envelops a solid cubic form.

Christiane Reiter creates a creative framework based on an origami fold, using colored pencils in three hues. This process forms the foundation for 48 paper reliefs. The folding of an A4 sheet creates a diagonal grid, with each field filled by Christiane Reiter using the colored pencils – the order of the colors is determined by chance. The meditative, analog working process and the unique handwriting of each piece express a special appreciation for the individuality and subjectivity of every single relief.

Architectural fragments that carry the Bauhaus DNA within them, playfully evolving its philosophy into the present day. Bogumila Strojna references the form language of Bauhaus modernism—foundational to all design and contemporary architecture—through angled aluminum sheets arranged in a grid. What is compelling about her cubic abstraction is the reduction of form. Her thoughts on these works are captured in the flat-colored pencil drawings.