Art Talk with Rolf Abendroth, March 22, 2021
The Pandemic and My Work
By Rolf Abendroth | February 12, 2021
I perceive the pandemic as a diffuse threat and a restriction on many opportunities for action and encounter in my life. Only one thing remains unrestricted: my work in the shelter of my studio. Here I feel free and safe.
Layers and blurring of colors and contrasts between light and dark open up the pictorial spaces. Mine is an experimental painting process often executed at breakneck speed; the pandemic context is expressed almost unconsciously in my imagery. Perhaps the influence of the pandemic is reflected in my preference for dark tones or black and white contrasts, the economical flashing of colored points of light, and the unreal scenes becoming visible in a gloomy mood. But in the end, there is still the challenge to the viewer to decipher the narration of my pictures and to charge it with their very own associations and stories.
The theater closed but the art chosen for the set has a life of its own.
No Audience
By Rolf Abendroth | January 9, 2021
A small theater selected a work of mine for the drama Tor und Tod by Hugo v. Hofmannsthal. A large - format stage design was created as a background. During theater rehearsals at TheaterLabor TraumGesicht Düsseldorf, inspired by the scenes, more works developed. Then came the performance ban due to the coronavirus pandemic. The stage room stayed empty. What remained was the set design and the works included my so-called "Black Series" with the title "See You".