Katharina Grosse - Pictures, Art, Photography

Katharina Grosse

Background Information about Katharina Grosse

Introduction

Katharina Grosse, a luminary of the contemporary art scene, invites us to embark on an expedition into the boundless world of color. Her beginnings, rooted in the Neo-Expressionism of the "Junge Wilden", experienced an evolution towards a unique visual language that pushes the boundaries of traditional painting. During some of her celebrated projects, the artist painted far beyond the limits of the canvas by extending her artistic work to three-dimensional objects. Inspired by a broad spectrum of art historical practices – from fresco painting to plein air
plein air painting, abstract expressionism and graffiti art – Grosse creates works that are exceptional in both their technical execution and their emotional impact. As a renowned professor and numerous award-winning artist, she gives color a new meaning through innovative experimentation with textures and tools – such as the compressor-powered spray gun. In this way, she realizes her vision of combining bright colors in complex, transparent layers to create a fascinating effect of depth. The resulting freedom enables her to think on a larger scale; not
only beyond the limits of a canvas but also beyond the boundaries of imagination. Grosse teaches, lives and creates her works in Berlin. Her pieces which are exhibited by
renowned institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Lenbachhaus in
Munich and the Musée National d'Art Moderne in Paris, are testimonies of an artist who has the courage to leave the museum and conquer the urban space. Grosse's works are known for their visual penetrating power. They combine zeitgeist and a sense of what is yet to be discovered. This combination creates worlds that revel in bright, irrepressible colors. Her works are not merely visual events; they are a vibrant whole that draws the viewer into its dynamic world and shows them new possibilities before their inner eye. Without taming it, Katharina Grosse abstractly and poetically captures the unlimited nature of her ideas. She gives freedom a platform without restricting it: the explosive power of her art continues to pulsate within the frame, creating sparks of unrestraint energy and inspiration leaping over to the viewer.

Bio

1961 Born in Freiburg/Breisgau, Germany
1982–1990Painting studies, Kunstakademie Münster and Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
1992Received the Villa Romana-Award, Florence
1993Awarded the Schmidt-Rottluff Stipend
1995Received the Kunstfonds Bonn e.V.
1997-1998Guest professor at the Staatlichen Akademie der Bildenden Künste Karlsruhe
1999Artist in Residence, Chinati Foundation, Marfa, TX
1990-2000Guest professor at the Hochschule Bremen
2000–2009Professor at the Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee, Germany
2010-2018Professor at the Kunstakademie, Düsseldorf, Germany
2024Currently lives and works in Düsseldorf and Berlin, Germany