HANS-PETER FELDMANN

Often referencing art history, Feldmann has created numerous works in which he appropriates or uses existing artworks and alters them. In his exhibition, Paintings, at Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (17 March–31 May 2015), the artist made minor changes to existing paintings that had been painted by other artists. In two portraits, clown noses were painted onto the austere faces of a man and a woman. In another painting, a black censorship bar covers the eyes of a nude woman as well as the eyes of her swan. These changes allow the viewer to come to a complete reinterpretation of the original painting. In doing so, the ideologies at play in traditional art are simultaneously emphasised and rewired.

In 1980, Feldmann destroyed all of his artworks still in his possession and went into early retirement. Ten years later he returned to his practice and in 2010 he won the prestigious Hugo Boss Prize. His work has been exhibited at institutions such as the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Palais de Tokyo, Paris; and the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, New York. His work has also been acquired by many collections, including the Hirschhorn Museum, Washington, DC; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; and Tate, London.

Feldmann lives and works in Düsseldorf.

Casey Carsel | Ocula | 2018