“Stück Hirn” (Piece of Brain)

Details

Exhibition:
Jonas Burgert, Hitting every head, Haunch of Venison, London 2009, with col. ill. p. 28 f;
Jonas Burgert. Lebendversuch, Kunsthalle Tübingen, 2010/11, cat.-no. 98, with col. Ill. p. 72 f;
Two Collectors – Thomas Olbricht and Harald Falckenberg, Deichtorhallen, Hamburg 2011, with col. ill. Ill. p. 47;
Jonas Burgert: Schutt und Futter, Kestner Gesellschaft, Hanover 2013, cat.-no. 45, with col. ill. ill;
Lotsucht / Scandagliodipendenza, MAMbo – Museo d’Arte Moderna di Bologna, 2017, with col. ill. Ill., o. p.;
Moving Energies – 10 Years ME Collectors Room, Berlin 2020, with col. ill. Ill. p. 285.

Provenance:
Haunch of Venison Gallery, Berlin;
Olbricht Collection, Essen, acquired from the aforementioned in 2010.

Description

– Typical work in which the human soul is given a stage
– Unique allure of beauty and discomfort
– Jonas Burgert is one of the most sought-after representational painters of our time

“I want to depict this naive hope. How we are constantly searching for something, for a source, and end up poisoning ourselves.” Jonas Burgert, 2008,

One of the most successful artists, Jonas Burgert’s work has been exhibited worldwide in recent years. The appeal of Jonas Burgert’s painting lies in its uniqueness. Early on, he said that he did not want to lose himself to foreign standards. At the beginning of each composition there are earth-coloured basic tones, above which the painter unfolds his rich colouring and his multi-figured, enigmatic scenes. In the sense of the above-mentioned quotation, Burgert sends his figures onto the stage; all human emotions are performed. In “Brain Piece” – as so often in Burgert’s work – there is an enigmatic abundance of figures and objects that prevents the viewer from light-heartedly indulging in the beauty of the painting. Common to all Burgert’s paintings is the dystopian undertone of his motifs; a feeling of unease inevitably creeps in. It is in this ambivalence of beauty and unease that the unique appeal of Burgert’s work lies.