Stilllife with sheep, 2025

Barbara Kuebel  

Artist Statement:

My art is driven by an attitude of dynamic gesture and nervousness. Though in my body studies and space investigations I might give reference to some kind of key association I never use images of ready-mades or want to make a connection to a realistic setting. For that reason I almost never include a background or a predefined section. In this sense my woodcuts can be understood as a variation of three dimensional work or sculpturing. These objects as I call them are independent from a two dimensional intention but stand alone such as a "thing". I use woodcut as my preferred medium to explore colour qualities in relation to object volume: massiveness, positive space/ negative space and dynamic structures. In a three dimensonal work I woud need to place these objects inevitably on the ground - in the woodcut they are weightless.

I work with the subject matters of crowds, density of objects and people and shapelessness when it is needed to stretch gesture and volume. I have no intention to refer to realism.

Education:

Academy of Fine Art Vienna/ t. Painting/ class of Anton Lehmden. 1995
Academy of Fine Art Vienna/ t. Art Education/ class of Herwig Zens and Edelbert Köb. 1994

Awards & Distinctions:

2020 NDO No Dead Artist Exhibition/ curated show at Jonathan Ferrara Gallery, New Orleans/ US.
Xylon International/ Musée Fernet Branca St. Louis Fr. Group Exhibition+ Catalogue
Graphic Award/ Academy of Fine Art Vienna.

Exhibitions:

Institute of contemporary art, Academy of Fine art Vienna
Galerie Celeste, Vienna
Galerie Cult, Vienna
Augenstücke, Nordico, Linz
Ursulinenhof, Linz
"Nach festen Regeln" Galerie im Moviemento
Literartisches Jahrbuch der Stadt Linz
Art gallery/ Norkoping/ Linkoping libraries, Schweden
Night of the "U-Hofgalierien"
Espace d'Art Contemporain Fernet Branca, Frankreich
Illustration to “Schau mich an", Wiener Portraits Hermesvilla, Wien
Festival de la Gravure, Diekirch, Luxembourg
“Couples", Zeitschrift Nr 141 der Xylon Schweiz
Xylon “Jubeldruck" Festdruckwerk der Xylon Schweiz zusammen u.a. mit Josef Felix Mueller, John Armleder, Kaspar Toggenburger, Roman Signer, Claudia und Julia Mueller und vielen mehr.
Exhibitions in Deutschland, Frankreich, Liechtenstein and Switzerland - Xylon CH 
NextComic, Comicfestival, Linz
Galerie im Eisenwerk, Frauenfeld Xylon Switzerland/ Xylon Switzerland
Publications for Xylon/ Switzerland - "Jubelbuch", "Selbst".
"Impuls Fanny Newald", BVOÖ Galerie, Linz
"Künstler begegnen Alfred Kubin", BVOÖ Galerie, Linz
Geschnitten? oder Ungeschnitten? Gallery Art & Vision, Bern
?Brick Lane Gallery, London GB. "Art in Mind" 
Kulturtage Therwil, CH "Raumfiguren"
Xylon Austria: Castle of Bukovje, Dravograd Slovenia, 5th September, 2019. 
2020 NDA No DEad Artist Jonathan Ferrara Gallery New Orleans/ USA

Professional/Teaching Experience:

Selection: NGO Art teacher ACOMI Sao Paulo Brazil.
2009 -2012 PD Art Teacher and Art Therapist at UWC Maastricht/ NL. 20016-20018 ISB Basel International School Basel
2000 Institut Hartheim/ Artist in Residency
1996-2004 High School Art teacher in Austria/ Switzerland/ and The Netherlands

Artistic Influences:

I am inspired by art and artists who made an important contribution to disconnect artproductions from predefined understandings. Marcel Duchamp, Willem de Kooning, Georg Baselitz or Cindy Sherman to name a few.

Tags:

Woodcut, large, form, black, graphic art, oversize.