Anselm Reyle

Berlin-based artist Anselm Reyle is known for his work, which involves repurposing found objects by altering them visually and reinventing their context. His works are inspired by early abstract painter Otto Freundlich, while his technique is influenced by innovators Jackson Pollock and Barnett Newman. Reyle self-consciously incorporates elements of Hard-Edged stripes and the gestural brushstrokes of Abstract Expressionism.

Biography of Anselm Reyle

Anselm Reyle was born in Tübingen, Germany in 1970. The artist studied at Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart and Karlsruhe. In 1998, he moved to Berlin and co-founded a gallery community with other artists like John Bock, Berta Fischer, and Michel Majerus.

Anselm's upbringing in an environment surrounded by abstract landscape paintings, due to his mother's artistic pursuits, greatly influenced his early passion for landscape design. Initially, his primary interest was in music before he eventually immersed himself in painting and sculpture.

Some critics in the US have interpreted Reyle's opulent creations as ultra-kitsch, which aligns with his intentions. This perspective likely stems from his upbringing, where his artist parents aimed to instill in him a sense of good taste, although he continually rebelled against it. His monochrome works are perceived as a defiant stance against the conventions of the art world.

Reyle's intricate installations with neon became notable works of art. His career quickly gained momentum with solo exhibitions in Berlin, Rome, and finally, New York, solidifying his path to international recognition. Additionally, he contributed to various art institutions in Germany, such as Berlin University of the Arts and Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg, where he became a professor of painting and drawing in 2009.

Anselm Reyle's Art Style

Anselm Reyle explores various media, employing strategies of painting, sculpture, and installation, often working in series or structured groups of works. He incorporates a diverse range of materials sourced from traditional art, commercial environments, and discarded everyday items from urban settings. By removing these materials from their original contexts and obscuring their functions, he alters their visual references. Through appropriation techniques, his work enables viewers to oscillate between identifying individual elements and experiencing moments of alienation due to their new contexts.

Anselm Reyle's celebrated abstract works are his foil paintings, created by arranging foil inside colored Perspex boxes. The trapped foil in these boxes emits a shimmering glow, enticing viewers to engage in a tactile experience that is simultaneously denied to them. 

Ironically, Reyle faces criticism for being kitsch, considering his fascination with high gloss effects and decorative materials drawn from the world of merchandising. This fascination serves as a framework for his critique of kitsch itself. Reyle's art confronts the clash between low culture in its consumerist form and what is traditionally considered high art. His work challenges viewers to contemplate the thin line where these two categories intersect.