Print & Handwork

We are pleased to present a new set of works by Anselm Reyle: Untitled, 2024

Rich in perceived texture and vibrant colours, the works contain silver foil elements that have been applied to replicate the tactile surface texture of Reyle’s paintings. Additionally, the artist applied acrylic paint splatters to the prints, thus making each a unique work of art.

Anselm Reyle’s work explores and questions the subtle and permeable boundaries between art and kitsch, often utilising unconventional materials and displaying them in high art settings. We spoke to the artist to find out more about his work and the inspiration behind it. 

Pauline Schellmann: You've described your work as “abstract pop art”. Can you elaborate on that?

Anselm Reyle: Abstract painting and Pop Art are two foundational elements of my work. I find abstract art fascinating due to its mysterious and inscrutable nature. Additionally, in Pop Art, the incorporation of found objects from everyday life and consumer society is very interesting to me. For example, by incorporating materials like silver foil, commonly found in shop windows, into my abstract paintings, I aim to enhance accessibility and encourage viewers to make associations with the works. My work has always been about questioning and challenging the hermetic nature of abstract art.

PS: Which abstract or pop artists have influenced your work?

AR: I studied painting in the 1990s and during this time was fascinated by the Neo-Geo movement, particularly artists such as Peter Halley and Haim Steinbach. Halley's incorporation of architectural and urbanistic elements into his abstract work resonated with me. Additionally, I found inspiration in German Romanticism, Art Informel, and Abstract Expressionism. Later on, Pop Art and Nouveau Realism, with artists like Yves Klein and Martial Raysse, further influenced my artistic interests.

PS: Can you elaborate on your use of foil? How did that come about?

AR: When I moved to Berlin at the end of the 1990s, I first lived in Neukölln, a multicultural and somewhat rough district at the time. Living there, I had a wealth of discoveries awaiting me, particularly in thrift shops and shop windows. It was in these places that I stumbled upon neon fragments from half-broken signs, as well as silver foil used for window decorations. The highly reflective materiality and surface fascinated me, leading me to the idea of incorporating this material into my paintings. However, when I conducted my initial tests, I almost felt a sense of shame for what I did. It felt like I was doing something forbidden. The silver foil is not only highly decorative, it also symbolises surface and effect – two taboos in abstract art. I never thought that the silver foil would become one of my signature materials and continue to accompany me in my work to this day.

PS: In an article in Art in America you were quoted as saying, “My parents tried to show me good taste, but I rebelled against it”. Can you tell me more about that?

AR: I assume that most parents try to teach their kids their values and, more or less consciously, their tastes. Additionally, as a child, you automatically grow up in an environment that has been shaped and designed by your parents. My mother was greatly influenced by the theories of Rudolf Steiner and the Anthroposophist movement, which take a dogmatic stance on what is considered good or bad, including matters of taste. Materials like silver foil and neon colours definitely belong to the latter category in such circles.

Applying handwork adds texture to a two-dimensional print and renders each of the works unique. This is something that many artists explore and play with. See below for a selection of such works by Ellen Gallagher, Christo & Jeanne-Claude, Donald Judd, and Kerstin Brätsch, among others.