Nicholas Bodde - Siegfried Kreitner

Nicholas Bodde, an artist we show regularly, was born in New-York in 1962 but lives in Bremen, Germany and paints bands of flat color on sheets of aluminum.
Siegfried Kreitner, born in Simmbach am Inn, Germany, in 1967, makes sculptures with neon lights, motors, and brushed aluminum.

Bodde constructs color, using various tools to juxtapose colors in lines and bands, creating surfaces marked by different substances. In his recent works from the Dynamic series he puts the horizon to flight, giving an impression of swift movement—a landscape racing by in a flash—on supports that are rectangular or oval.

His work contrasts with the monochrome effect of Kreitner’s pieces, in which color—in the form of light—crouches inside boxes or totems that seem to breath very, very slowly. Time comes to a halt among what the artist himself describes as “minimal-kinetic” objects. The eyes must come to a rest in order observe the serene rhythm of slowly moving motors.

Although both artists work in aluminum, the swiftness of Bodde’s colors diverges from the unhurried pace of Kreitner’s motors. Yet this contrast binds the two, as do the clashing impressions created by gaudy color and neon glow. Experiencing this show therefore means entertaining two extremes : Should I stay or should I go ?

Diane Lahumière
Translation by Deke Dusinbere