Isa Melsheimer Nr. 327, 2013
Gouache on paper
36 x 48 cm (14 1/8 x 18 7/8 in) (unframed)
46 x 57,5 x 3,5 cm (18 1/8 x 22 1/2 x 1 1/8 in) (framed)
46 x 57,5 x 3,5 cm (18 1/8 x 22 1/2 x 1 1/8 in) (framed)
The gouache shows a concrete architectural structure and a disproportionally large green plant depicted in the foreground of the image. The pictured structure is based on a well-known example of modernist architecture: the main tomb of the Brion Cemetery in San Vito d’Altivole near Treviso, designed by the Italian architect Carlo Scarpa.
In her gouaches of architectural sites Isa Melsheimer constructs small autonomous worlds, seemingly detached from their real-world settings. The artist often choses 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. Since the found photographs on which she bases the gouaches are often in black and white, the artist 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: wild animals like foxes or porcupines, clusters of brilliantly colored crystalline formations and/or extravagantly grown plants.
In the course of researching buildings, sifting through the visual material, then composing a motif and drawing the image, the artist explores her own relationship to the particular edifice. At the same time, Melsheimer's work also examines the connotations of the building's historical and architectural context, and the ideological connotations with which its materials, aesthetics, and functional may be imbued.
In her gouaches of architectural sites Isa Melsheimer constructs small autonomous worlds, seemingly detached from their real-world settings. The artist often choses 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. Since the found photographs on which she bases the gouaches are often in black and white, the artist 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: wild animals like foxes or porcupines, clusters of brilliantly colored crystalline formations and/or extravagantly grown plants.
In the course of researching buildings, sifting through the visual material, then composing a motif and drawing the image, the artist explores her own relationship to the particular edifice. At the same time, Melsheimer's work also examines the connotations of the building's historical and architectural context, and the ideological connotations with which its materials, aesthetics, and functional may be imbued.