Katharina Grosse (b. 1961, Germany)
Shake before using, 2008

Sorry, Katharina, I don’t really like this work. But I love what it does. It gets me to rethink “painting” once again – how it does not have to be on canvas, how it does not have to be “two-dimensional”, how it does not have to accept the site as it is, but rather may reshape it to it’s own liking. Has it become sculpture? Maybe… but colours and paint seem to play the central role anyway, thus – – – painting nevertheless?

Also, I find it inspiring how large scale can be commanded with rather simple methods.

Finally, this peculiar mixed feeling… There is something about the formal qualities of the work that won’t let me to say that I “like it”. But it is also the same formal qualities that seem to be re-patching my trains of thought – and that I find most valuable, so I also do “like it” – a lot – but on some other level… This internal conflict in me is interesting and I think that I am trying to ignite it myself in my audiences now and then, by presenting works that I find frustrating or unsettling myself – be it for their “unfinishedness” or “boringness” or “lengthiness” or “illegibility” or “ugliness”- hoping that some of them won’t just click “dislike” and move away, but rather take some time to contemplate on the disliking and/or incomprehension and, hopefully, find some new insights and ideas arising from that tension.