Introduction

Inscribed in the film of the paint one finds a world made of oblique relations characterized by an interplay of abiding inscrutability; A world built out of the familiar but transfigured.
Although accessibility seems to be highly granted, the image stays in distance, resists the attempts of appropriation. In the climax of opposing forces, via the tension of difference and similarity an intrinsic logic is constituted aiming for things to show off a different than apparent being. As a matter of fact the image is kept in a state of still being in the process of realizing itself. Piling up, layer over layer, creating something that at the same time seems to have already deconstructed itself the work states a paradoxical condition. And rather due to a self-effacing impact than its de facto substantiality it is delivered to our senses. In essence this corresponds to an impulse to continuously invent itself anew.
Overt, problematic, coincidental is the imminent status quo of the making of the painting and decisions regarding its realization can be seen as a preconceived strategy of finding meaning by loosing meaning. In that sense the technique substantiates meaning as precise formal placements; The surface serves as an apparitional epicentre of an epitomized inwardness and the resentfulness of the multi-layering embodies as mediator a perceptible aftershock. As a sublimated dissatisfaction this causes a negative pleasure whereby “something deeper” is issued.
At the intersection of having been and going to be, the moment the brush strikes a difference is torn open that becomes its own present. The strike of a stroke serves as the demarcation line where all the moments of time disappear, so that the present appears. The starting-point of this contact will always stay absent and only when the moving-intentionality is removed the image appears. In its realization into the visible this involves the coming up of the absent; A gesture of being put in question that marks a break per se. As a referential gap such a distance can never be closed. In the fraction of the semantic and visual an argument space is opened up – a gap between understanding and comprehension, imagination and reasoning. (Ute Müller)

Exhibitions

• Sep ’09 - Back in 5 minutes.

Biography

Born 1978 in Graz, Austria. Lives and works in Vienna, Austria

Education
2003 - 2005 MA Course - Fine Art, Painting; Royal College of Art, London / GB
1997 - 2002 Studies of Fine Art, Painting; University of Applied Arts, Vienna / A

Solo Exhibitions
2009
‘Back in 5 minutes’ GALERIE DANA CHARKASI, Vienna
‘Don’t worry, I met friends’ Kleine Galerie, Künstlerhaus Klagenfurt / A

2008
‘Ékstasis’ SwingR, Vienna

2006
‘Repulsive Attraction’ Projektraum Brick 5, Vienna

Group Exhibitions
2010
‘In Passing 10’ curated by Ursula Maria Probst, Passagegalerie, Künstlerhaus Wien , Vienna
‘Despite straight lines’ Schloss Hollenburg, Hollenburg-Krems / A

2009
‘On Escape Salzburg’ curated by Amer Abbas
‘Moholy - Telephone paintings and other works’ curated by Hugo Canoilas, Rua da Boavista, nº86 R/C, Lisbon / P
‘EXPosition of Mythology-ELectronic Technology’ curated by Lee Young Chul, Nam June Paik Art Center, Yongin-Si / South Korea
‘Breathless’ curated by Adam Budak, Markthalle Wien Mitte, Vienna
‘The Red Thread’ curated by Julie Ryan, GALERIE DANA CHARKASI, Vienna

2008
‘Heike Schäfer, Ute Müller / Neue Arbeiten’ Heiligenkreuzerhof / Sala Terrena, Vienna
‘BA-Preis 08’ Galerie 3, Klagenfurt / A

2007
‘Vertauscht2’ Künstlerhaus Wien, Vienna
‘Vertauscht’ Noedok, St. Pölten / A

2006
‘Ware/Wert’ Künstlerhaus Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt / A

2005
‘A Moment in Time’ Temple Bar Gallery & Studios, Dublin / IRL
‘Walter Koschatzky Kunstpreis 05’ Siftung Ludwig MUMOK, Vienna
‘A Sharp Intake of Breath’ Beldam Gallery, Uxbridge Middlesex / GB

2004
‘Von der Ritzzeichnung zur Knochenflöte’ Stadtgalerie Wien, Vienna
‘Power – Clap Your Hands Sucker’ Chambers Project Space, London / GB

2003
‘Malerei und Grafik’ Kunstraum Arcade, Mödling / A
‘Achtzehn Jahre Meisterklasse Frohner’ St. Peter an der Sperr / A

2002
‘Mann, Frau - Subjekt, Objekt’ Schloss Ulmerfeld, Amstetten / A
‘The Essence’ Künstlerhaus Wien, Vienna
‘Vel Satis Award’ Renault Österreich, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Vienna

Projects
since 2009
Editor & co-founder of Black Pages (http://www.blackpages.at), Vienna
2003 - 2004
Programm Premiere, Career-funding for graduates of the University of Applied Arts, Vienna

2003
Project Maiphase, Organization of a project space within the artfestival Soho in Ottakring 03, Vienna

2000/2001
Zeitschnitte III+IV, International art symposium, Bad Bleiberg / A

Honors | Awards
2004
Fellowship of the Emanuel und Sophie Fohn Foundation

2003
Fellowship for Graduates of the University of Applied Arts Vienna

2002
Fellowship of the Sussmann Foundation
Preis der Stadt Wien (Award of the City of Vienna)

2001
Fellowship of the Adelmüller Foundation
Scholarship of the University of Applied Arts Vienna