Axel Krause

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Axel Krause (born October 23, 1958 in Halle (Saale) ) is a German painter and graphic artist .

life and work

Axel Krause is considered an exposed artist of the New Leipzig School . He lives and works in Leipzig . Pictures by Axel Krause were u. a. auctioned at New York auction house Sotheby's .

Axel Krause studied painting from 1981 to 1986 at the Leipzig College of Graphics and Book Art with Dietrich Burger , Volker Stelzmann , Günter Thiele and Arno Rink and graduated with a diploma. From 1975 to 1977 he had already completed training as a skilled worker for reproduction technology. From 1990 to 1993 he worked as a theater painter at the Leipzig Opera. Parallel to his work as a theater painter, Krause worked from 1989 to 1999 as a lecturer at the University of Graphic and Book Art Leipzig, evening academy department. In the field of painting, he taught figurative drawing and nudes. From 1994 to 1996, Krause also completed postgraduate studies in art therapy at the Dresden University of Fine Arts . The preoccupation with intellectual fathers such as Edward Hopper , Balthus and Giorgio de Chirico encouraged him in his endeavors to create surreal, staged, precise images. They often appear as a representation of reality, but represent an introspective view. Professor Harald Kunde, former director of the Ludwig Forum for International Art Aachen, curator and publicist wrote in 2011 on the subject: “This approach, time not as a linearly flowing medium and Not understanding a story as a monocausal narrative is something he shares with all authors of the long-standing post-modern era. (...) His preferred stylistic device (...) is the method of visual staging; every figure, every set piece and every detail is not treated for its own sake, but (...) plays a role in a larger, rationally barely comprehensible context. ”The art historian Meinhard Michael also brings Vermeer and Monet into conversation: Krause appreciates them Painting culture.

The romantic Caspar David Friedrich is also influential. In the picture Black Sea from 2010, for example, Krause confronts two sumōtori with a hiker inspired by Caspar David Friedrich. The summiteer carries a pickaxe with him and instead of the sea of ​​fog he overlooks a closed, but deeply incongruent interior: in addition to a fitted kitchen, it includes a stage-like area with stairs, rocks, a model of an industrial plant with a landing stage and the associated model boat. Spectacular flying objects, submarines, bizarre machines and devices often populate his paintings. Zeppelins can be found in Der Morgen (1998), Pool im Gebirge (1998), Die Havarie (1999) and Eintracht (2006), and even a flying fish in Die Heimkehr (1999). The representation of water has a certain meaning in Krause's work. It plays an important role in many of his pictures.

Different time levels are another feature of Krause's pictorial inventions. He transports the protagonists into different eras in terms of their style of clothing, furniture and technical equipment and other attributes , such as in the painting Abendgruß (2015). The impression of a realistic scene is deceptive. A closer look reveals a staging that is only indirectly related to the actual world. Time levels and causal relationships have moved away from external, known places and express an inner world of the artist. With this characteristic, Krause consciously strives for apparent contradictions. The Leipzig art historian Meinhard Michael writes about Krause in a catalog essay: “Krause likes to paint an appearance of the visible and knows that it reveals a lot. He does some things to make the surface palatable, some even to lull you into it - and yet the lake is deep. ”“ Alogical ”or“ at most analogical ”are the“ curious and enigmatic processes ”that can be discovered in Krause's painting be. Like a “dream” of the world, Michael continues. Krause himself says: "What interests me (...) is the double life of the concrete phenomena of reality, their rational classification and legibility and their parallel levels of meaning."

Working method

Krause developed his characteristic pictorial genesis while working with the designs of other colleagues, mostly stage designers, who served him in various forms as templates for stage decorations during his time as a theater painter. For his paintings, Krause draws from various sources and works systematically with existing visual material, as described in the monograph “Axel Krause. Zur See "noted:" Sketches, photos, magazine clippings, advertising, technical illustrations, factual representations and reproductions of pictures of famous and less famous colleagues ". Today he makes increasing use of the media and the Internet. He puts the individual image fragments together according to an emotional logic, which repeatedly creates surprising contexts. Various parts are supplemented and revised with brush and paint. He then transfers the picture, complete in miniature, onto the canvas. Krause writes: "In the cocoon of my design studio, I cut, glue, draw and paint in a note calendar format to counter the diffuse inner image of the mood of the day."

Krause designs pictures in order to then execute them on canvas. This is not least reminiscent of René Magritte's iconic, media-reflective painting La trahison des images (“Ceci n'est pas une pipe”, 1929) . If the surrealist Belgian Magritte does not display a pipe, but a picture of a pipe, Krause shows us pictures of pictures with his specific way of working, or "pictures of pictures of pictures", as he himself notes, because the small-format designs set for their part are composed of media images and are the template for the image on the canvas.

Political activity

Krause has been a member of the board of trustees of the AfD- affiliated Desiderius Erasmus Foundation since 2018 .

In August 2018, the Leipziger Galerie Kleindienst separated from Krause because it “neither wanted to share nor support his political views or public statements.” This fueled the already heated debate about the “limits of artistic freedom ” and, in particular, the question of how political Statements by artists are to be assessed and classified. Now the art world also has its Uwe Tellkamp , wrote Daniel Völzke in Monopol . "The expulsion of the AfD-affiliated artist Axel Krause from his gallery is welcomed by some and condemned by others as an attack on artistic freedom." Krause expressed criticism of the government's immigration policy several times on his private Facebook account: "I hold that illegal mass immigration for a big mistake and the AfD for a corrective to be welcomed in the ailing political scene. ”For his opinion,“ to be practically excluded now - that is a rather problematic matter, ”the artist told the MDR .

Krause was selected as an exhibiting artist in 2019 by the board of trustees of the 26th Leipzig Annual Exhibition (LJA) and invited by the board. Thereupon public pressure was exerted on the board of directors of the Leipzig annual exhibition. On May 31, 2019, the board revoked the invitation to Axel Krause, shortly afterwards the entire exhibition was canceled, but then took place, but without Krause. In a FAZ comment, Kolja Reichert wishes that the rejection would be "aesthetically justified". In the ZEIT article The Rejection of Rejection , Charlotte Theile paints a nuanced picture of the discourse around Axel Kraus. In addition to himself and the artist Felix Leffrank , she lets the gallery owner Arne Linde have their say: “If there is an artist who promotes the AfD, then we have to deal with it. We have to do that in the political landscape too. ”But then, says Linde,“ the contradictions should also become an issue. For me that would have been a sign of a strong, pluralistic society. ”Jutta Pelz, chairwoman of the Brandenburg Association of Visual Artists, argues similarly. According to her, we must "not avoid the socio-political debate, but at the same time we have to keep an eye on the current trends in contemporary art"

Solo exhibitions

  • 2019 Tunnel to happiness , 20 drawings, KulturHaus Loschwitz, Dresden
  • 2019 Trans-Mission , Galerie Kunst-Kontor. Forum for Timeless Art, Potsdam
  • 2019 shore leave, Thomas Punzmann Gallery, Frankfurt am Main
  • 2017 Film Noir , LVS Gallery, Seoul
  • 2015 late film , Galerie Kleindienst, Leipzig
  • 2012 Painting / Graphics, Ratswall Gallery, Bitterfeld
  • 2012 New Works , LVS Gallery, Seoul
  • 2010 Black Sea , Galerie Kleindienst, Leipzig
  • 2007 Visitation , Galerie Kleindienst, Leipzig
  • 2007 Axel Krause solo exhibition , Gallery LM, Seoul, South Korea
  • 2005 Team , Galerie Kleindienst, Leipzig
  • 2003 New Chemnitzer Kunsthütte, Chemnitz
  • 2002 Inter Art Gallery Reich, Cologne
  • 2001 Zur See , Westphalsches Haus, Leipzig - Markkleeberg
  • 1999 Municipal Gallery, Wesseling b. Cologne
  • 1994 Blüthner Gallery, Leipzig
  • 1994 Breastfeeding , painting and drawing, Panorama Museum, Bad Frankenhausen
  • 1994 Jüdenstrasse Gallery, Wittenberg
  • 1989 South Gallery, Leipzig

Group exhibitions

  • 2019 The Leipzig Connection - HDLU-Croatian Association of Artists, Zagreb / ​​Croatia
  • 2017 and 2016: Art Central Hong Kong, Gallery LVS, Hong Kong
  • 2016: Double duo , Kunstverein Paitzsch eV, Panitzsch, (GER)
  • 2016: Summer Academy , Rathausgalerie, Grimma (GER)
  • 2015: The Phantasmic Line - Art From Leipzig , Galerie Kunstverein Talstrasse, Halle / Saale
  • 2013: Monumental , 20th annual Leipzig exhibition
  • 2011: Leipzig Painters , Gallery Baton, Seoul
  • 2011: Convoy Leipzig , Biksady Gallery, Budapest
  • 2009: In Every Dreamhome A Heartbreak - (Ir) real space worlds in painting , Galerie Frank Schlag & Cie, Essen
  • 2009: 60/40/20. Art in Leipzig since 1949 , Museum of Fine Arts , Leipzig Museum of Visual Arts Leipzig
  • 2008: Drawcula , Galerie Kleindienst, Leipzig
  • 2007: Contemporary Painting. Back to the figure , Museum Franz Gertsch , Burgdorf
  • 2007: Contemporary Painting. Back to the figure , Kunsthaus Wien
  • 2007: Painting now! Back to figuration , Kunsthal Rotterdam
  • 2006: New Leipzig School , Kunstverein Würzburg
  • 2006: Contemporary painting. Back to the figure , Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung , Munich (catalog)
  • 2006: Artists From Leipzig , Arario Gallery, Beijing
  • 2006: Made in Leipzig. Pictures from a city , Essl Museum, Klosterneuburg, Austria
  • 2006: Back to the figure , art hall of the Hypovereinsbank Munich and Museum Franz Gertsch (CH)
  • 2006: New German Painting - Leipzig Art , Warsaw
  • 2006: Figurative painting from Vienna and Leipzig , Kampl Gallery, Munich
  • 2005: Equal eye level , Galerie Schlag & Cie, Essen
  • 2005: Drei x Drei from Leipzig , Kampl Gallery, Munich
  • 2005: Rainbow , Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
  • 2005: XI. Annual Leipzig Exhibition, Leipzig
  • 2002: Ideal images - new acquisitions by the Kunstfonds Sachsen , Museum der bildenden Künste, Leipzig
  • 2002: Autumn Salon, Art Association Bautzen
  • 2001: 14th National Drawing , Tuscan Column Hall, Augsburg
  • 1999: Dresden - Columbus Artistic Partnership , Concours Gallery, Upper Arlington, Ohio (USA)
  • 1997: Lust & Last, Leipzig Art since 1945 , Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg and Museum of Fine Arts, Leipzig
  • 1994: time - look. Art landscape in Saxony , Castle, Dresden
  • 1994: 9th National Drawing , Tuscan Column Hall, Augsburg
  • 1990: Schwind Gallery, Frankfurt / Main
  • 1989: Altes Museum, Berlin
  • 1988: Museum Lindenau, Altenburg
  • 1987: Galerie Schaufenster, Berlin, with Neo Rauch and Roland Borchers

Scholarships

  • 2000: Scholarship from the Cultural Foundation of the Free State of Saxony, stay at the Künstlerhaus Lukas, Ahrenshoop
  • 1995: Travel grant (USA), Saxon Ministry of Science and Art, work stay in Columbus, Ohio
  • 1994: Scholarship for artists in Leipzig, non-profit association
  • 1994: Scholarship Thuringian Ministry for Science and Art, work stay in Bad Frankenhausen

Collections

  • Ideal Pictures , 2002, Museum of Fine Arts Leipzig
  • Art collection of the Sparkasse Leipzig
  • Art collection of the German Bundestag
  • State Representation Hesse, Bonn
  • New Saxon Gallery - Museum for Contemporary Art, Chemnitz
  • Panorama Museum Bad Frankenhausen
  • Regional council Leipzig
  • Saxon State Ministry for Science and Art
  • Susan Goodman, New York / USA

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ See also Harald Kunde, "Überfahrt ins Offene", in: Kunststatt. Axel Krause , Munich, London, New York, Prestel: 2011, p. 7.
  2. ^ Carl Friedrich Schröer: Art workshop Axel Krause. Painted dream images: the crystalline worlds of images by Axel Krause, Prestel Verlag 2011
  3. ^ Krause, Axel | Auction lots. Retrieved on August 16, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Axel Krause. Zur See, Leipzig 2001, p. 95.
  5. ↑ Harald Kunde, "Überfahrt ins Offene", in: Kunststatt. Axel Krause , Munich, London, New York, Prestel: 2011, p. 7.
  6. ↑ Harald Kunde, "Überfahrt ins Offene", in: Kunststatt. Axel Krause , Munich, London, New York, Prestel: 2011, p. 7.
  7. ↑ See also Harald Kunde, "Überfahrt ins Offene", in: Kunststatt. Axel Krause , Munich, London, New York, Prestel: 2011, p. 8: "The melancholy forlornness of Giorgio de Chirico , the erotic tension of the figurines in Balthus , the existential loneliness of the nocturnal figures by Edward Hopper (...)". Krause's pictures "carried the heroes mentioned" with them "in a kind of underground presence" and bound them "into their own painterly continuum".
  8. ↑ Meinhard Michael, "At sea with Axel Krause", in: Axel Krause. Zur See, Leipzig 2001, pp. 5-7. ISBN 3-910171-11-7
  9. ↑ Meinhard Michael, "At sea with Axel Krause", in: Axel Krause. Zur See, Leipzig 2001, pp. 3–9.
  10. ↑ Meinhard Michael, "At sea with Axel Krause", in: Axel Krause. Zur See, Leipzig 2001, p. 5.
  11. ↑ Meinhard Michael, "At sea with Axel Krause", in: Axel Krause. Zur See, Leipzig 2001, p. 6.
  12. ↑ Axel Krause. Zur See, Leipzig 2001, p. 90. Cf. also Meinhard Michael, “Zur See mit Axel Krause”, ibid., P. 6. Cf. in depth on Krause's working method, ibid., Pp. 90–93.
  13. ↑ 'Cf. Harald Kunde, "Passing into the open", in: Kunststatt , in depth on Krause's working method . Axel Krause , Munich, London, New York, Prestel: 2011, pp. 7–8.
  14. ^ Axel Krause, text accompanying the exhibition "Black Sea", Galerie Kleindienst, Leipzig 2010.
  15. ^ Mdr.de: Axel Krause: Leipziger Galerie separates from painter | for political reasons MDR.DE . ( mdr.de [accessed on August 16, 2018]).
  16. ↑ ARTE: Is liberalism in crisis and is an end to the freedom of art? | ARTE . ( youtube.com [accessed October 19, 2018]).
  17. ↑ Thomas Bille: Interview with book author Hanno Rauterberg. After the Axel Krause case: How free is art? | MDR.DE . ( mdr.de ).
  18. ↑ Thomas Bille: Head of the Leipzig Picture Museum on the debate on freedom of art. Krause case: This is how the MdbK Leipzig deals with critical artists | MDR.DE . ( mdr.de ).
  19. ^ Daniel Völzke: Gallery separates from artist. No right to mediation , Monopol-Magazin.de, August 20, 2018.
  20. ↑ Annika von Taube: “Geschasster Maler Krause. Missed Chance " , Monopol-Magazin.de, August 28, 2018.
  21. ^ Mdr.de: Axel Krause: Leipziger Galerie separates from painter | for political reasons MDR.DE . ( mdr.de [accessed on August 16, 2018]).
  22. ↑ mk 2 June 2019: Leipziger Internet Zeitung: For freedom of art: Axel Krause blows up Leipzig annual exhibition - L-IZ.de. Accessed June 2, 2019 (German).
  23. ↑ Kito Nedo: Exhibit with rights . In: sueddeutsche.de . 2019, ISSN  0174-4917 ( sueddeutsche.de [accessed June 2, 2019]).
  24. ↑ mdr.de: Axel Krause case: Leipzig annual exhibition canceled | MDR.DE. Retrieved June 2, 2019 .
  25. ↑ faz.de: Debate about artistic freedom: arguing about images, not about politics | FAZ.DE. Retrieved February 24, 2020 .
  26. ↑ Charlotte Theile: Axel Krause: The rejection of the rejection . In: The time . June 8, 2019, ISSN  0044-2070 ( zeit.de [accessed February 28, 2020]).
  27. ↑ Mathias Richter: Can an AfD-affiliated artist exhibit in Potsdam? Because of the AfD-affiliated artist Axel Krause, an exhibition cannot take place in Leipzig. He has been exhibiting in Potsdam since April. Can politics and art be separated from one another? In: Märkische Allgemeine. June 7, 2019, accessed February 28, 2020 .
  28. ↑ [1]
personal data
SURNAME Krause, Axel
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German painter and university professor
DATE OF BIRTH October 23, 1958
PLACE OF BIRTH Halle (Saale)