artist profile
ANDREAS BLANK Galerie Christian Ehrentraut Friedrichstr. 123 D-10117 Berlin Tel/Fax +49 30 44 03 83 85 mail@christianehrentraut.com www.christianehrentraut.com
Anatomy of words, Galerie Choi&Lager, Kรถln. 2013
Group show Galerie Christian Ehrentraut. 2012
Shadows of Words Spoken Galerie Christian Ehrentraut. 2013
Ansicht #1
Shadows of Words Spoken Galerie Christian Ehrentraut. 2013 Ansicht #2
LAST EXHIBITION
Andreas Blank „SHADOWS OF WORDS SPOKEN “
ndreas Blank vereint in seinen Skulpturen sowohl abstrakte und gegenständliche als auch konzeptuelle und handwerkliche, technische Praktiken. Auf allen Erdteilen sucht er nach oft seltenen Steinen, bearbeitet sie in aufwendigen Arbeitsprozessen und setzt sie mal zu stilisierten, mal täuschend echt wirkenden Alltagsobjekten zusammen.
A
I
In den präzise inszenierten Rauminstallationen wird die temporäre Natur der abgebildeten Gegenstände in monumentale Permanenz überführt. Wurden Marmor, Alabaster oder Porphyr in der Bildhauerei historisch meist benutzt, um politische oder religiöse Aufgaben zu erfüllen, erhalten Blanks skulpturale Objekte dagegen einen scheinbar beiläufigen und fragmentarischen Charakter. Die geographische und kulturelle Identität des Arbeitsmaterials und die Denkmal-Funktion der Steinskulpturen verweist auf die Wertigkeit der Gegenstände. Blank hinterfragt das Sichtbare und überführt traditionelle Bezüge und Wertvorstellungen auf das Alltägliche und Gegenwärtige.
In his precise installations, the apparently ephemeral objects achieve monumental permanence. Whether marble, alabaster, or porphyry, material historically used to serve religious or political functions, has in Blank’s hands acquired a seemingly casual and fragmentary character.
Andreas Blank (geboren 1976 in Ansbach) hat an der Staatlichen Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Karlsruhe bei Prof. Klingelhöller studiert und am Royal College of Art in London seinen Master gemacht. Er war Stipendiat der Deutschen Studienstiftung und Finalist des New Sensation Award von Channel 4 und der Saatchi Gallery 2009. Blank lebt und arbeitet in London und Franken.
n his sculptural practice, Andreas Blank combines the abstract and the realistic, the conceptual as well as the technical. He sources stones from quarries from all over the world, carves them with elaborate deliberation and assembles them in sometimes consciously stylized, and other times deceptively realistic objects of the everyday.
The geographical and cultural identity of the stone and the memorial function of stone-sculpture in general refer to the value of each object. Blank questions the obvious and transforms traditional ideals and values on the ordinary and present. Andreas Blank was born in Ansbach in 1976. He attended the Karlsruhe State Academy of Art (Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste) and was Meisterschüler under Prof. Klingelhöller. He held a scholarship with the German National Academic Foundation and received his MFA from the Royal College of Art in London. In 2009 he was a finalist for the New Sensations Award by Channel 4 and the Saatchi Gallery. Blank lives and works in London and Franconia.
Shadows of Words Spoken Galerie Christian Ehrentraut. 2013
Ansicht #3
AUSGEWÄHLTE WERKE SELECTED WORKS
Planes 6 [2013] Andreas Blank 68 x 39,5 x 24 cm marble, limestone
Untitled [2013] Andreas Blank 87 x 41,5 x 29 cm marble, alabaster
Still life 13 [2012] Andreas Blank 27 x 35 x 23 cm alabaster, marble, serpentinite
Untitled 2012 [2012] Andreas Blank 44 x 35 x 2 cm marble, onyx
Element I [2012] Andreas Blank 85 x 70 x 133 cm agate, basalt, gypsum, limestone, marble, quarzite, slate
Floorpiece with Boots [2012] Andreas Blank 27 x 52,5 x 45,5 cm marble, limestone, porphyry, sandtone, slate
Untitled 2012 [2012] Andreas Blank 40 x 32 x 7 cm serpentinite
Element 2 with Healing Frame [2012] Andreas Blank 45 x 33 x 33 cm / 30 x 23,5 x 2,5 cm limestone, marble, lepidolite
Box with brackets 2 [2011] Andreas Blank 24 x 21 x 15 cm marble, sandstone, soapstone
Still life 6 [2010] Andreas Blank 70 x 100 x 75 cm slate, marble, dimensions variable
Still life 11 [2010] Andreas Blank 6 x 10,5 cm (diameter) alabaster
Monument 5 [2010] Andreas Blank 20 x 16 x 5 cm marble, alabaster
PRESSEARTIKEL PRESS RELEASES
Woeller, Marcus: Der Künstler als Mineralfetischist. Die Welt, 16. Juni 2012, S.28. Wöller, Marcus: Der Künstler als Mineralfetischist. Die Welt, 16 Juni 2012, S.28.
Koch, Philip: Alabaster und Onyx. Tip Berlin, Nr. 12/2012 41. Jahrgang, S.67.
Koch, Philip: Alabaster und Onyx. tip Berlin, Nr. 12/2012 41. Jahrgang, S. 67.
Ackermann, Tim: Schรถner Wohnen, aber alles aus Stein. Tim Ackermanns wรถchentlicher Streifzug durch die Berliner Galerien. www.morgenpost.de, 27. Mai 2012.
Ackermann, Tim: Schรถner Wohnen, aber alles aus Stein. Tim Ackermanns wรถchentlicher Streifzug durch die Berliner Galerien. www.morgenpost.de, 27. Mai 2012.
Andreas Blank, "Shadows of Words Spoken" @ Christian Ehrentraut Review Tue, 2012-05-22 11:02 — Rachel Simkover Credits: Text by R. Simkover and pictures by Galerie C. Ehrentraut
In preparation for a work included in his solo exhibition, “Shadows of Words Spoken” at Galerie Christian Ehrentraut, sculptor Andreas Blank was in an uncomfortable situation in an Italian quarry. There were only five pieces left of the good quality alabaster stone that Blank needed to execute his project. It is difficult to find a large stone that is a single, pure color, and since the quality of the rough surface is so different than when it is carved and polished, it takes an expert eye to identify the particular stones he seeks, ones without the “kitschy” veins. He had gotten into an argument with the quarrier about the weight of the stones. The quarrier insisted that they were each over 100 kilos, and they were not going to be leaving the quarry any time soon. If Blank could prove that his desired stone weighed less than 100 kilos (and was therefore something he could physically move on his own) then the fate of the stone was open to negotiation. So Blank found himself, nervous and sweating, surrounded by the quarrier’s nephews eagerly waiting the verdict. Blank bent down to attempt to pick up the stone, and while getting a proper grip, the backside of the stone was exposed, revealing “62 kilo” etched on the surface. The proud Italian let him have the stone free of charge. Andreas Blank works exclusively from stone. Stories like these come with most of the materials he uses because the particular qualities of the stones (hardness, color, texture) that he needs to properly execute his ideas are rare and only found in specific parts of the world; he can’t exactly find unblemished green onyx on Ebay. The search involves a lot of travelling and a lot of phone calls. Not only do the stones have Blank’s stories surrounding them, but they also carry the history of the location. This is seen most obviously in a rare piece of black serpentine stone that has million year old snails embedded within. The full story behind each material is not something that is revealed while viewing the work; also, the titles of the works don’t provide any indication of where the stones came from or how they were collected. However, the specificity and special qualities of the materials themselves indicate that each stone carries a unique story; the physical material carries the metaphysical message. The materials themselves are so magnificent, that one would almost just be content being in their presence as polished rocks. But of course there is so much more to them; Blank has expertly sculpted these stones using traditional stone carving and coloring techniques to produce something contemporary and refreshing. Many artists outsource their labor, but in this case, the artist’s immersion in every aspect of production is essential for its development. The stone is given new meaning as it takes the form of everyday objects from the office and domestic spheres and objects on display in the art gallery. The amount of care and detail that has been put into the development of each work results in incredibly convincing objects. What I feel are the most intriguing objects are the more recent abstract sculptures. These
Simkover, Rachel. Andreas Blank, „Schadows of Words Spoken“ Christian Ehrentraut Review. www.bpigs.com, 22. Mai 2012.
objects that either hang on the wall or rest on pedestals (solid marble pedestals to be exact) take the form of a cloth that has been draped over paintings and sculptures. In fact there is nothing hidden, the objects are solid all the way through. Also, the text piece in the back corner of the installation nicely ties together the ideas behind the work; it is a piece from the quotation “seeing things that are too big to see.” The text is too big for the viewer to read, and Blank's work embodies things that are too big to see, such as simultaneous pieces of the world’s landscape, the history of the materials, and the history of art.
Simkover, Rachel. Andreas Blank, „Schadows of Words Spoken“ Christian Ehrentraut Review. www.bpigs.com, 22. Mai 2012.
Der Steinbildhauer aus der Oxford Street, Westmittelfranken, 25-26. Juli 2009.
Lentaki, Alex: Saatchi makes case for young art. New Sensations prize highlights most striking talent in Britain. The Evening Standard, www.standard.co.uk, 9. Oktober 2009, S.26.
Look on the bright side: Optimistic Art. The Independant, 20. Oktober 2008, S.16-17.
Look on the bright side: Optimistic Art. The Independant, 20. Oktober 2008, S.16-17.
ANDREAS BLANK Born 1976 in Ansbach Lives and works in London
Education 2001 - 2006 2007 2008 - 2009
Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kuenste Karlsruhe with Prof. Harald Klingelhoeller Hochschule fuer Bildende Kuenste Hamburg, guest student with Andreas Slominksi Royal College of Art London
Grants and Awards 2010 2009 2008 2007 2005
The Catlin Prize, London Finalist, New Sensations 2009, London Land Securities Studio Award, London Conran Foundation Award Scholarship for Great Britain, Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes Residency, Stiftung Vorwerk, Hamburg Scholarship Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes
Solo Exhibitions 2013 2012
Landscape Metaphor, Benrimon Contemporary, New York Anatomy of words, Galerie Choi&Lager, Köln Sir Peter Blake. Things I Love At The Fine Art Society, The Fine Art Society, London Shadows of Words Spoken, Galerie Christian Ehrentraut, Berlin
Group Exhibitions 2013 2012
2011
2010
The Scene changes to an empty room, De Fabriek, Eindhoven Carving in Britain from 1910 to Now, The Fine Art SOciety, London Recasting the Gods, Sumarria Lunn Gallery, London Ein weißes Feld, Sammlung FIEDE, Aschaffenburg Dividing Line, High House Gallery, Oxfordshire Memory. International Contemporary Sculpture, Palazzo Arti Napoli (PAN), Naples Oh, Plastiksack!, Gewerbemuseum Winterthur Stillstehende Sachen aus der Sammlung SOR Rusche, Museum Abtei Liesborn, Wadersloh-Liesborn 13, Galerie Christian Ehrentraut, Berlin Stressing Spiritual Needs Even When Selling Ice Cream, DNA-Galerie, Berlin Memory, Rosenfeld Porcini Gallery, London Please Write, Posted Projects, London Transcending, LARMgalleri, Copenhagen New German Art/Neue Deutsche Kunst, German Embassy, London Cocktail, Galerie Frank Schlag, Essen Keep Me Posted, Posted Projects, London The Land Securities Studio Awards 2010, SW1 Gallery, London Christian Achenbach, Andreas Blank, Nicola Samorì, Galerie Christian Ehrentraut, Berlin The Catlin Prize, London We Can Understand The Meaning Better Without,
2009
2008
2007
St. Pancras Parish Church Crypt, London New Sensations, Rochelle School, London Galerie Alfred Knecht, Karlsruhe Abschied und Ankunft, DB Museum, Nuremberg Afghanische Botschaft, Berlin Optimism, Hannah Barry Gallery, London Basement Project, Fred Gallery, London Allen & Overy, London Lichtfeld 8, Basel Regionale 7, Projectspace 54, Basel Lichtfeld 7, Basel Sculptureproject, Osterburken
BIBLIOGRAPHY Articles in magazines, catalogues and internet. 2012
2010 2009
2008
Woeller, Marcus: Der Künstler als Mineralfetischist. Die Welt, 16. Juni 2012, S.28. Ackermann, Tim: Schöner Wohnen, aber alles aus Stein. Tim Ackermanns wöchentlicher Streifzug durch die Berliner Galerien. www.morgenpost.de, 27. Mai 2012. Simkover, Rachel: Andreas Blank, „Shadows of Words Spoken“. Christian Ehrentraut Review. www.bpigs.com, 22. Mai 2012. Mclaughlin, Rosanna: The Quiet Theater: An Exhibition in Print, London 2012, S. 36-45. Corrieri, Claudia: Andreas Blank. In: Land Securities Studio Awards 2010. London 2010, S.10-11 (Katalog hrsg. v. Land Securities anlässlich der gleichnamigen Ausstellung in der SW1 Gallery, London, 10.06. – 26.06.2010). Lentati, Alex: Saatchi Makes Case for Young Art. New Sensations Prize Highlights Most Striking Talent in Britain. The Evening Standard, 09. Oktober 2009, S.26. Butler, Thomas: Artist’s Statement. Salon Contemporary, 2009. Dorment, Richard: Venice Biennale 2009. Prize Collector’s Leap of Faith. www.telegraph.co.uk, 08. Juni 2009. College Students Selected for Saatchi. www.eca.ac.uk, 15. September 2009. Miller, Phil: Scottish Art School Graduates among Saatchi’s Sensations. www.theheraldscotland.com, 17. September 2009. Der Steinbildhauer aus der Oxford Street. Fränkische Landeszeitung, 25.-26. Juli 2009. New Work. www.artworldmagazine.com, Oktober/November 2009. Look on the Bright Side: Optimistic Art. The Independent, 20. Oktober 2008, S.16–17.
EDITIONS
andreas blank «shadows of words spoken» 2012 edition of 400 signed and numbered copies
Galerie Christian Ehrentraut Friedrichstr. 123 D-10117 Berlin Tel/Fax +49 30 44 03 83 85 mail@christianehrentraut.com www.christianehrentraut.com