Isa Melsheimer Nr 440, 2017
Gouache on paper
42 x 56 cm (16 1/2 x 22 1/8 in) (unframed)
52,1 x 63,6 x 4 cm (20 1/2 x 25 x 1 5/8 in) (framed)
52,1 x 63,6 x 4 cm (20 1/2 x 25 x 1 5/8 in) (framed)
In her gouaches of architectural sites, Isa Melsheimer constructs small autonomous worlds, seemingly detached from their real-world settings. The artist often chooses black and white source material showing the building in their original condition, that is, without signs of subsequent decay or dilapidation and without later architectural or landscaping additions. Isa Melsheimer effectively reimagines the colors of the buildings and their interiors, unrestrained by the strictures of verisimilitude. The impression of these structures existing in a self-contained, timeless space is further emphasized by the fantastic elements that appear in these environments: clusters of brilliantly colored crystalline formations and/or extravagantly dark starry night skies.