Raphaela Vogel
Nuremberg Germany , lives and works in Berlin
Aby 2009
2021
oil chalk, oil paint, charcoal, ballpoint pen on folding reflectors, chrome-plated metal rods, polyurethan elastomer, textile belts and safety pins
306,5 x 515 x 20 cm
2023.RV.03
Aby 2009 is part of a series entitled Würde/Motiv (2022). Through these medallions, each held in a decorative frame, Raphaela Vogel explores the meaning behind the concept of a ‘motif’, which is a recurring visual element. Is it possible to interpret such a motif without being influenced by the material, the style and the visual signature of the artist? At the same time, by painting them on reflectors, she also suggests that the meaning of each motif is ultimately determined by the viewer. ‘Aby’ refers to Aby Warburg (1866-1929), the German art historian and cultural scholar. Warburg created a visual atlas, Mnemosyne, for which he compiled and classified countless images in order to explore the connections between visual motives which transcend a specific time and culture. Vogel is working on a subjective visual archive of her own. In this work, she depicts the theme[GT1] of ‘crisis’ using a variety of figures painted in a fanciful and expressionistic style.
[GT1]'motif' misschien?