Günther Förg *

(Füssen 1952–2013 Freiburg im Br.)
Untitled, 1996, signed and dated, acrylic on canvas, 220 x 195 cm
This work is registered in the Archiv Günther Förg under WVF.96. B.0037

Provenance:
Galerie Neff, Frankfurt a. M.
Private Collection, Europe (acquired from the above in 2018)

The year this work was created, 1996, marked a high point for the German painter, sculptor, and photographer Günther Förg. He was awarded the Wolfgang-Hahn-Prize by the Society for
Modern Art at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne and the museum acquired one of the most distinctive works from his œuvre: a canvas from his series of grid paintings.

Surprisingly, the artist found its inclusion in the art historical can-on rather irritating. In a 2007
interview with Erich Gantzert-Castrillo, he reflected: “You know, I always rejected art history. But, at some point … I find it tragic that you always end up with art history eventually.”
Günther Förg oscillated between various different media. He produced architectural photographs, created bronze sculptures, and worked on canvases - all almost at the same time. His work untitled from 1996 powerfully demonstrates how these different creative areas enriched and influenced one another. Förg’s interest in the aesthetics of modern architecture with its clear structures and balanced proportions was reflected in his architectural photographs as well as in the composition of grid paintings – a series that he began in 1990.

Using canvas offered him the opportunity to
develop the ordering spirit of architecture in two dimensions. The intuitive and rapid brushstrokes of the grids, together with the delicate areas of color, created a harmonious contrast between structure and surface. This rigorous method of working made Günther Förg’s series of grid paintings instantly recognizable.