Tobias Abel, Paintings, Ausstellungsraum Ursula Werz, Tübingen 2008

In his third solo exhibition at the Ausstellungsraum Ursula Werz, Tobias Abel presents paintings on aluminum, which resolutely deals with the rectangle as a traditional pictorial format. A central concern of Abel’s work is the color itself and its dynamically process-oriented character in non-representational painting.

The two opposite paintings in the exhibition space are each set out in a vertical format with a size of 180 x 120 cm. On the other hand, the two adjacent works in the living room – each measuring 60 x 80 cm – are aligned horizontally. Each painting offers only one single color to the viewer: gold, black metallic, green and brown metallic.

A closer look reveals very different painting styles: for example, the gold is built up in several layers with a paint roller to a fine, even texture, whereby the golden hue is broken by an admixture of aluminum. The opposite black metallic is compacted with horizontal and vertical brushstrokes to a homogenous and calm color surface. In the spatial juxtaposition of the two paintings, the viewer moves between two force fields, from which he is continuously attracted and repelled.

In addition to the works on aluminum sheets, Tobias Abel presents a collection of his postcard-sized color patterns, which are created while working on the paintings. The compilation shown here in a wall display case covers the period from 1997 to 2007, with more than 500 handpainted color samples.

Text: Ulrich Altenholtz