Summer Hues invites viewers into the serene and introspective world of Emanuel Seitz's (b. 1973) paintings. This solo exhibition at Buysse Gallery explores the subtle and nuanced palette of colors.
Emanuel Seitz's work emphasizes the fundamental elements of painting: form and composition. His art, often simple and monochromatic, delves into the dynamic relationship between form and space through meticulous pigment mixing and a restrained color palette.
Seitz studied with Günther Förg (1952-2013), who was renowned for his experiments in abstraction and monochrome painting. Förg's distinctive and prolific body of work emerged in contrast to the predominant figurative painting trend in Germany during the 1980s. His late work, particularly his 'Tupfenbilder' or 'spot paintings,' celebrates the act of painting itself, characterized by brighter and more gestural turns.
In Summer Hues, Seitz's paintings reveal the rich spectrum of hues that emerge in the interplay of light and shadow. His works feature intersecting cool and pastel hues that suggest the artist's preference for certain background colors. The brushstrokes are expressive and dynamic, placed in a repetitive grid pattern, conveying a playful rhythmic harmony of color and form. The high-contrast raw pigments Seitz uses, while appearing simple, are carefully considered. Sourcing pure pigment powders, Seitz creates color fields that captivate and stimulate an immediate visual reaction. The free-flowing brushstrokes applied on top reflect the influence of his time studying under Förg, and it is this contrast between the background and the overlaying marks that infuses his compositions with power and harmony.
Seitz engages with the language of abstraction, borrowing from the techniques and tropes of modernist painting to explore the interplay and possibility of color, the shifting relationship between positive and negative space, and the gestural qualities of different brushstrokes. Several art movements could be referred to such as Gesture, central to Seitz's dynamic brushwork, expressing ideas or meaning through the movement of parts of the body, especially the hand or head. This gestural quality connects his work to a broader tradition within modernist painting that values the expressive potential of the artist's physical engagement with the canvas. Minimalism, defined by simple colors, shapes, and forms, emerged post-World War II as a counter-movement to the complexity of previous art styles. Seitz's minimalist approach is evident in his use of monochromatic palettes and the reduction of form to its essentials, creating a meditative space for viewers. Relating to or produced by color, Seitz's work is a deep dive into the potential of color to evoke emotion and mood. His careful mixing of pigments and nuanced use of color underscore his commitment to chromatic exploration. Prioritizing the concept or idea as the most important element, conceptual art is reflected in Seitz's focus on the fundamental aspects of painting itself-form, color, and composition-rather than representational content. Finally, the expressive nature of Seitz's brushstrokes and compositions invites viewers to engage emotionally with his work, creating a dialogue between the viewer and the artwork.
