We are very pleased to announce the first one-person show by German artist, Frank Gerritz, during above period.

Born in Bad Oldesloe, Germany in 1964, Frank Gerritz now resides and works in Hamburg, Germany. Periodically he holds exhibitions in museums and gallerys in Europe and the United States. His works are housed in many museums and private collections as Weserburg, Museum für Moderne Kunst (Bremen), Gemeentemuseum (Den Haag), Musée Tavet Delacour (Pontoise), National Gallery of Art (Washington DC), Brooklyn Museum (New York), Collezione Panza di Biumo (Varese) and The Menil Collection (Houston), etc.

Frank Gerritz is undoubtedly one of the most outstanding artists of an abstractly and geometrically operating art. At a first glance, one might feel an inclination to categorize his works as a retracing of the path of Minimal and Conceptual Art, but this viewpoint would be far too one-dimensional, because Gerritz’s works lay claim to the live character of individual perception and go deeper than the surface, providing a complex weave of the most diverse references and points of view to the discourses of art history.

Sculptor

Frank Gerritz started his carrier as a sculptor. For years, however, he has developed his sculptural ideas principally in the form of drawings that nonetheless have a character of relief works and emanate a markedly space-encompassing energy. Derived from his early sculpture installations, he has established two main directions as serial works, one of these are the pencil drawings on MDF panel and the other one are the oil paintstick drawings on anodized aluminum.

Pencil drawing on MDF panel

With a Faber Castell 9B pencil, Gerritz places layer upon layer of graphite onto the smooth surface of industrially manufactured MDF panels. The different hatching results in a precise mesh of lines that lends the drawing initial structure. What is decisive is that the precision of these geometric formations is taken to a completely different level of perception due to the material effect of the graphite. The graphite that has been applied to the surface catches light in completely new and different ways. The viewer’s gaze thus takes an exciting journey through a light-filled world of ostensible darkness in these in part specular works on MDF.

Paintstick drawing on anodized Aluminum

In another cycle, Gerritz works with a black paintstick directly on anodized aluminum panel carefully manufactured with the instruction by the artist. Viewers can experience the black of penetrating beauty on the surface and the space for the echo of living experience in the concise characteristic style of rigid precision. This is possible only when directly in front of those actual works.

Pencil drawings on paper, wall drawings and Auctions /Invitationals

Alongside these “wall-sculptures”, several series of drawings on paper, paintstick on printed paper (from auction catalogues and invitation cards) as well as monumental wall-drawings, equally constructed from a consciously limited geometric vocabulary, have defined the artist’s works over the past two decades.

Razorblade Suitcase

This one person show at Taguchi Fine Art is the first occasion to exhibit Gerritz’s works in Japan and also in Asian countries. The show is focused on new paintstick drawings on aluminum. The exhibition has been titled after a 4 part work included in this show, “Razorblade Suitcase”.

Due to the fact that it requires for Gerritz so much concentration and time to create his works, collectors sometimes have to wait years for his new works. The presentation by Taguchi Fine Art at Art Cologne this spring had a brand new MDF drawing and got great reputation and success. Please come to take a look of the first appearance of the works by Frank Gerritz.

From 18:00 till 20:00 on the first day, October 11th, we will have a reception for the artist. We are looking forward to your visit.