Birgit Lessmann, Sea of colours. Paintings

Birgit Lessmann’s “Sea of Colours”

Like an ocean, a tremendous abundance of images flows through our house right now. Birgit Lessmann has brought over sixty very different pictures into our house. Abstract works in the most diverse colours and formats, from dark and strong in colour to pastel, delicate and feathery.

“Sea of Colours” Birgit Lessmann has named her exhibition here at our place. And the title for this extensive show of her work does fit very well, indeed. Because the artist has a very fine feeling for colours. She explores their effect in themselves, in combination and contrast. And in their distribution on the surface.

Her art is abstract, albeit not completely unobjective. There are gradations in the degree of abstraction. In some of her works, Birgit Lessmann stays in kind of an intermediate world. There are elements in her work, that still tend to be figurative, or at least can trigger associations with the representational. Other works work exclusively with colour and form.

Totally abstract

Abstract art, what does that mean exactly? A rather dazzling and at the same time bulky term, which wants to bring together a multitude of highly different forms of expression of non-representation.
Classic Modernism offers a whole spectrum of pioneering artists who have turned their backs on representationalism and the mimetic depiction of reality. Hilma af Klimt, presumably the “primordial mother” of abstraction, Wassily Kandinsky. Robert Delaunay, Kasimir Malevich, or Piet Mondrian belong to this league of great pioneers of abstract art.

There is an anecdote of Wassily Kandinsky, who developed a whole groundbreaking art theory in addition to his abstract art. It is often told, that he more or less accidentally found his way to abstract painting. One evening, in his studio, he looked at a painting that had slipped to the side. He could no longer see the contours clearly, but rather saw blurred forms and colors that had fused together in twilight. What he saw inspired him. It was unusual, liberated from anything representational, and only appeared as a peculiarly luminous collection of spots and fields.

Kandinsky came to the conclusion that the representational was actually only harmful to his way of painting. And in all consequence, from then on, he only painted abstractly. In his manifesto “Über das Geistige in der Kunst” / “Concerning the Spiritual in Art” (1911), he described in detail how forms and colours unfold their own essence and express spiritual feelings.

Abstraction as an experiment. With colour and material

Just as one perceives blurred contours at dusk, or experiences how the surroundings blur when one squeezes one’s eyes slightly and one’s own gaze loses sharpness, one could also approach Birgit Lessmann’s works in the same way. For Birgit Lessmann explores the “essence”, the effect of colors that are freed from the heaviness of the object. And that in a highly experimental way. The artist works with various means, on canvas or wood, partly combined with collage elements.

Birgit Lessmann’s painting thrives on the abundance of different colors and materials that contrast with each other, collide with each other, lie on top of each other in layers, and merge with each other, thus ultimately forming a balanced whole. She strokes, fills and wipes her colours onto the painting surface. For her, colour often looks like a block, rather flat and solid. Sometimes it is only a fine line on it that sets the overall picture “in motion”.

Acrylic, chalk, putty, ink, shellac, oxidizing metal primers, pigments or impact metal, sometimes also in combination with collage elements, give rise to colorful works whose vibrancy is created not least by chance. The actual painting process can only be controlled to a limited extent; it’s appeal also lies in experimentation. In Birgit Lessmann’s work, form and line are always recognizable as actual material, perhaps as a pasty layer, or as a glaze, sometimes as a dusty pure pigment. The painting ground, mostly canvas or wood, sometimes flashes at the edges, or shimmers finely under the layers of paint.

Colours, shapes, and ciphers

Birgit Lessmann – “Gegensätze” (Opposites)

Birgit Lessmann’s works do not depict, but rather emphasize color, form and structure as independent reality.

Nature, space or figurative objects remain, if at all recognizable as such, largely shadowy and reduced, and are only reconstructed in the picture’s contemplation. Here and there interspersed collages, parts of text of a newspaper, isolated ciphers, letters or lines, which seem like fleetingly scribbled characters or a careless handwriting. Sprinkled signs, syllables or even words “enigmatize” the pictorial impression. Sometimes there are also fragments of text that are concretely “readable” objects, and thus, form an actual “meaningful” contrast to the non-objective elements in the composition.

There are completely abstract colour fields without any perspective, which partly overlap or melt at the edges. They are in contrast to the fine, highly dynamic lines or loose brushstrokes, even spirals, which in these pictures and on this accentuated flatness provide the tension and a kind of spatial effect. Quasi as “in front of” and “behind” or “below” and “above”.

Suggested space

On the other hand, however, there are also suggested spaces or rooms, some with grotesquely extended perspectives, which lose themselves in the depth of the picture and seem to dissolve completely at some point. Like a kind of “un-space” of light and shadow, perhaps from a disturbing dream that hardly offers a secure hold.

“A bit like the Cabinet of Dr Caligari”, a friend of us described it. He visited us spontaneously a few days ago for a cup of coffee, and thus, enjoyed a somewhat highly exclusive “Sneak Preview”. Because the new works had only been hanging there for a few hours.

Well, perhaps Birgit Lessmann’s suggested spaces are not quite as threatening and disturbing as the cinematic masterpiece of Expressionism, but at least they are irritating. For the distorted and somehow “torn” space settings strongly question the viewer’s point of view.

Are there human figures?

Birgit Lessmann – “Zuflucht” (Shelter)

Yes, they do exist. There are people in the pictures. But they stay at a distance, are mostly faceless, black shadows. They move in an environment that could sometimes also be a landscape. Without any spatial depth.

As unusually tall and narrow figures, they sometimes remind us a little of Giacometti, or some the many angels that Birgit Lessmann brought with her as her own small series – quite suitable for this time of year, but not just “seasonal” at the same time.

What makes these figures angels? They are abstract in representation. And they have no other attributes except their mighty wings and an aura around the head. Radiant, in gold or bright yellow. The individual angels always fill the pictorial space almost completely, there is hardly any surrounding space. They “are” with all consequence the picture itself. Very emphatically and without any distraction. The artist herself says about this series: “Angels – thoughts of angels, hopes that we place in them: To pass them on is a valuable gift. Angels are regarded as protectors on our paths, as messengers, saviours and companions of people.” And this is certainly not only true for the Christmas season.

Invitation to a “Picture Walk”

When an artist has moved into our house with new works, we always enjoy exploring how the house is “changing”, transforms. The first days with the “new ones” is always a kind of “picture walk” through the house to get used to them.

Birgit Lessmann’s works are open, they do not provide a compelling, ultimate interpretation. And it is indeed fun to associate. To collect many impressions. How does this picture “work”?  Is it calm and relaxed? Light and floating, or massive, like a block? Or rather flickering and nervous? Ordered and well-sorted, structured or rather in motion?

And the individual experience of a  picture is always very personal, unmistakable. By the way, “Recognize yourself” is written in a very light, pastel light work. As a text snippet in sweeping writing, actually very delicate. This is probably also a very personal request and an invitation to you. Have fun!

“Sea of Colours”. Paintings by Birigt Lessmann. Exhibition at Hotel Villa Meererbusch until spring 2020.