Exhibition catalogue, Museum Brandhorst Munich, edited by Armin Zweite.
Texts (in German) by Rudi Fuchs, Friedrich Wolfram Heubach, Anna Rühl, Nina Schleif, Armin Zweite.
Since the major retrospective exhibitions of 2005, the work of Georg Herold (born 1947) has undergone enormous changes. His often misunderstood approach to materials like wood or roof battens has been so significantly altered that it becomes even clearer: his primary concern was never the use of so-called humble materials, that is, proving that art can be created from "simple" materials. His numerous canvas works using bricks or caviar already refuted this interpretation. However, Georg Herold consistently used ironic titles to create traps for the viewer, because, in his view, nothing "can be conveyed through narrative without becoming utterly boring." And so, in recent years, he has embarked on a radically different path, without resorting to narrative. Simple roof battens, with their potential to serve as supports, frames, or placeholders, now become components of an energetically charged sculpture: the new figurative works, formed entirely from battens. Whether a taut outer skin, a specially made covering, is used, or the viewer's gaze is drawn directly to the construction itself, the slat is employed here in its full right as an artistic device. The artist also recognizes that this represents another significant step forward: "Beauty was never the goal; rather, one tries to develop and implement a particular technology, and suddenly realizes that beautiful things can emerge from it." The Brandhorst couple, collectors, have been collecting multiples since the 1980s. Now, a major special exhibition is on display at the Museum Brandhorst in Munich, showcasing not only the multiples in the collection but also loans of caviar paintings as well as new figurative and installation works – all illustrated in the comprehensive catalog.
Exhibition:
Bavarian State Painting Collections, Museum Brandhorst, Munich, 19/4–2/9/2012