Witzenmann New York – Neuenbürg

Photo exhibition “Wild Nature”?

In the 1980s, the painter Sylvia Witzenmann moved into a studio in the New York district of Hell's Kitchen.
Inspired by the energetic atmosphere of the city “that never sleeps,” by the New York sound of jazz, but also by scientific contributions on the radio at WBAI and especially by her favorite program with the American atomic physicist MICHIO KAKU, a series of large-format paintings were created in the following years.
With her typical universal interest, the painter literally absorbed political events, social developments, philosophical aspects, and even the latest scientific findings, translating them into expressive painting. It is remarkable that many of the themes of her paintings, which were triggered by specific events at the time, have lost none of their relevance to this day, even though they occurred decades ago.

Problematic topics such as international terrorism, environmental pollution, migration or the dominance of science were captured on canvas in mixed media by the always critically thinking Sylvia Witzenmann as early as the 1980s.
They have lost none of their explosiveness to this day.

In addition to the twenty medium-sized canvas paintings from her New York years, there are nine current works from 2022 and 2023. The so-called brick prints in the 60 x 60 format reveal a more playful approach by the artist.

C.V.
Born in Munich in 1941, he studied painting, drawing, graphic design, and sculpture at the Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences from 1972 to 1974. In 1974, he moved to New York, where he trained in goldsmithing and enameling under Robert Kulicke and Jean Reist Stark. In 1979, he continued his studies in various goldsmithing techniques with Bruno Martinazzi.
For over 20 years, Sylvia Witzenmann maintained a studio in New York's Diamond District, as well as a painting studio in Hell's Kitchen.
1998 Purchase of a small house in East Hampton, where Sylvia Witzenmann had already spent her summers since 1983. Here in Springs, on Gerard Drive (where Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning had already worked), she was fascinated by the coastal landscapes, the water, and the changing light conditions. Soon, in addition to the more mimetic daytime landscapes seen plein air, night landscapes were created during the night hours. This liberating process led from the reproduction of what was seen, oriented towards impressionistic observation, to an inner translation into expressive images. Alongside the landscape, the human form, always in a direct and expressive manner, became an important motif. Current or global political events, but also universal considerations about the nature of humanity, culture, and the natural sciences, flowed into the works.
Since the mid-1990s, Witzenmann has participated in numerous exhibitions in Germany, Switzerland and the USA.

Sunday, 12.11.2023, 15:00 PM Artist tour

Sylvia Witzenmann in conversation with Regina M. Fischer