Katharina Grosse is no stranger to colour. The German artist is well known for her in situ paintings, which sees her splash a dizzying array of colours onto various surfaces while responding to events and happenings around her. Following her immense installation Wunderbild at the National Gallery in Prague, Grosse has once again created works of a similar scale to present at Gagosian’s London Britannia Street address, dubbed ‘Prototypes of Imagination’.
One can describe Grosse as a philosophical graffiti artist. Her use of a spray gun and stencils on a canvas is consistent with those we often associate with the street and reckless vandalism. Yet her work is a purposeful exploration of existential concerns, and she treats colour not as a superficial entity, but rather a vehicle for her thoughts and her imagination.
The exhibition features one large central canvas accompanied by seven smaller canvases. Grosse paints her large canvas in particular with the exhibition space in mind – she is aware of how the architectural features of the space will play into the viewer’s experience of such an imposing work. Her play on dimensions represents her interest in ‘imagining big’, while being an insignificant speck in the fabric of the universe – it is this contrasting relationship that allows her to conjure these melting pots of bright hues.
There is a reassuring quality in the chaos of Grosse’s canvases – they are an optimistic representation of the power of our imagination despite our small existence.
Installation view of ‘Prototypes of Imagination’ at Gagosian, London. © 2018 Katharina Grosse and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Courtesy of Gagosian
Untitled, 2018, by Katharina Grosse, acrylic on canvas. © 2018 Katharina Grosse and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Courtesy of the artist and Gagosian
Installation view of ‘Prototypes of Imagination’ at Gagosian, London. © 2018 Katharina Grosse and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Courtesy of Gagosian
INFORMATION
‘Katharina Grosse: Protoypes of Imagination’ is on view until 27 July. For more information, see the Gagosian website
ADDRESS
Gagosian
6-24 Britannia Street
London WC1X 9JD
-
Indian studio Compartment S4 celebrates architectural collaborationCompartment S4, the Indian architecture studio out of Ahmedabad and Mumbai, is true to its collective nature
-
A revamped Edinburgh apartment combines Californian-style modernism with modern craftArcher + Braun have transformed an apartment in a historic house with finely tuned contemporary additions and sympathetic attention to detail
-
Formafantasma’s biodiversity-boosting installation in a Perrier Jouët vineyard is cross-pollination at its bestFormafantasma and Perrier Jouët unveil the first project in their ‘Cohabitare’ initiative, ‘not only a work of art but also a contribution to the ecosystem’
-
Inside the distorted world of artist George RouyFrequently drawing comparisons with Francis Bacon, painter George Rouy is gaining peer points for his use of classic techniques to distort the human form
-
‘I'm endlessly fascinated by the nude’: Somaya Critchlow’s intimate and confident drawings are on show in London‘Triple Threat’ at Maximillian William gallery in London is British artist Somaya Critchlow’s first show dedicated solely to drawing
-
Surrealism as feminist resistance: artists against fascism in Leeds‘The Traumatic Surreal’ at the Henry Moore Institute, unpacks the generational trauma left by Nazism for postwar women
-
Looking forward to Tate Modern’s 25th anniversary partyFrom 9-12 May 2025, Tate Modern, one of London’s most adored art museums, will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a lively weekend of festivities
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been doing this weekA week in the world of Wallpaper*. Here's how our editors have been entertaining themselves in the run up to Christmas
-
Love, melancholy and domesticity: Anna Calleja is a painter to watchAnna Calleja explores everyday themes in her exhibition, ‘One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night’, at Sim Smith, London
-
Ndayé Kouagou speaks the language of the chaotic social media influencer in LondonNdayé Kouagou celebrates meandering incoherence with an exhibition, ‘A Message for Everybody’, at Gathering in London
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been doing this weekA snowy Swiss Alpine sleepover, a design book fest in Milan, and a night with Steve Coogan in London – our editors' out-of-hours adventures this week
