Andrea Hess
Scenes of human connection
Works by Andrea Hess and Alexander Schönfeld in a double exhibition at the Georg-Scholz-Haus in Waldkirch.
...To current sculptural and painted works are added oil, acrylic, and graphite works on paper from 2008. Using the handle of a brush, figurative scenes of loving human connection are engraved in fine outlines within monochrome red layers of paint. The figures are merely suggested; they emerge subtly from the protective space of color. In one Pietà, the body of Mary becomes a sheltering embrace.
More recent is the series "Celestial Vessels." Looking upwards, evening street canyons appear like vessels, containing a cloudless sky. Similarly, in "Pineta IV," the shadowy canopy of pine trees against the evening sky evokes landmasses bordered by the sea. The series "Sky" presents the sky in sculptural outlines in plaster, as negatives of the street canyons from the "Celestial Vessels." Also currently on display is the series "Homeless"—a figurative counterpart to the "Sky" series, featuring figures that emerge from an informal mass into figurative forms. Exhibitions continue throughout the year at the Georg Scholz House.
Author: Hans-Dieter Fronz, BZ, May 3, 2017
Landscapes, saints, beasts
Exhibition "Shapes & Shades" at the Georg-Scholz-Haus Waldkirch with works by Andrea Hess and Alexander Schönfeld.
…For the first time, Freiburg artists Andrea Hess and Alexander Schönfeld are presenting a selection of their works together in an exhibition at the Georg-Scholz-Haus in Waldkirch. They have chosen "Shapes & Shades" as the title. "Outlines," "lines," and "layers"—that's how the wordplay could be translated, the two explain.
A fitting motto, because the artworks, created using a wide variety of techniques, are multifaceted and profound, and as outlines without a finished message, they challenge the interpreting viewer, who gives fullness to the openness….
Saints also play an important role in Andrea Hess's art. Her plaster sculptures testify to her fascination with these otherworldly figures, who are usually depicted with their attributes. Some belong to a series entitled "Homeless." Here, however, homelessness signifies more openness and freedom than depressive despair. Also somewhat reminiscent of Caspar David Friedrich, the viewer sees a Mary, the Statue of Liberty in New York, or two close friends seen from behind. They gaze into an imaginary landscape and future.
The artist says it's important to her to create silhouettes that leave room for interpretation. The sculptures' production process is quite original. The outlines are sewn as fabric pouches and then filled with plaster. Once the plaster has dried, the sculpture is removed. This technique also allows for an "archaeological" view of the artwork, explains Andrea Hess, because the original folds and shapes of the fabric are still visible on the finished sculpture. Alongside the sculptures are oil and acrylic paintings. One series is titled "Sky" or "Celestial Vessels." These works process impressions from strolling through cityscapes. The gaze is directed upwards from the street, and the buildings appear like canyons with bizarre patterns.
BZ, March 31, 2017, author Helmut Rothermel
