Ulrich Hensel

Wer Augen hat zu sehen: die Materialwelt von Baustellen als faszinierende fotografische Readymades

Ulrich Hensel (* 1946) sucht die Motive für seine einzigartigen fotografischen Arbeiten auf Baustellen. Dort findet er zufällig entstandene, beeindruckend expressive abstrakte Gemälde, Halbreliefs und Skulpturen, deren Anblick den Betrachter verwirrt. Reduziert, stets authentisch und nie digital nachbearbeitet, liegt die große Stringenz der Fotografien in der meisterhaften Auswahl des Künstlers: Maßstabsgetreu an die Wand gebracht, sind Hensels Bilder gleichzeitig Fenster zur Welt. Die unsinnlich-technische Welt der Betonarmierungen, T-Träger, Dämmstoffe, Wandmarkierungen, Verschalungen und Stahlmatten kondensiert in seinen Ausschnitten zu aufregenden Farbfeldern, Skulpturen und Chiffren, irgendwo zwischen Mark Rothko, Donald Judd und Cy Twombly. Konsequent schließen alle Kompositionen Hensels am unteren Bildrand mit einem Bodenstreifen ab - als optische Hilfe für den Betrachter: Nur wer erwartet, Kunst zu sehen, der findet sie auch.

Autorentext
Ulrich Hensel ( 1946) finds the motifs of his remark able photographs at construction sites. These chance constellations expressive and abstract paintings, semi-reliefs, and sculptures are not always readily identifiable to the viewer. The pared-down language of the image is always based on an authentic photo graph, which is never digitally altered; the great strin gency of these works is indebted solely to the mas terfully selective eye of the artist. Hung on the wall in one-to-one scale, Hensel s photographs are windows to the world. Through the framing of the image the mundane, technical world of rebar, T-beams, insula tion, wall markings, cladding, and welded steel mats is condensed into exciting fields of color, sculptures, and symbols that recall the works of artists such as Mark Rothko, Donald Judd, and Cy Twombly. All of Hensel s compositions are punctuated by a strip of the ground running across the bottom of the im age an optical hint for the viewer. Still, only those who are looking for a work of art truly find it.

Klappentext

Ulrich Hensel (* 1946) finds the motifs of his remark­able photographs at construction sites. These chance constellations-expressive and abstract paintings, semi-reliefs, and sculptures-are not always readily identifiable to the viewer. The pared-down language of the image is always based on an authentic photo­graph, which is never digitally altered; the great strin­gency of these works is indebted solely to the mas­terfully selective eye of the artist. Hung on the wall in one-to-one scale, Hensel's photographs are windows to the world. Through the framing of the image the mundane, technical world of rebar, T-beams, insula­tion, wall markings, cladding, and welded steel mats is condensed into exciting fields of color, sculptures, and symbols that recall the works of artists such as Mark Rothko, Donald Judd, and Cy Twombly. All of Hensel's compositions are punctuated by a strip of the ground running across the bottom of the im­age-an optical hint for the viewer. Still, only those who are looking for a work of art truly find it.