Collection: Patrick Cierpka

You might get the impression that Patrick Cierpka's works look like the open lens of a camera that captures an enormous amount of light. Sunshine and color play together, appear on water-like surfaces, pass through the branches of trees, twist in diffuse perspectives. The motifs within the pictures are mostly figurative in nature, but appear to the viewer in an abstract way.
There is no top or bottom and the viewer is invited to dive into an experience far from space and time: Time seems to stand still, space does not exist.
With a strong use of colour, the artist succeeds in creating scenes that seemed inimitable in their origin. At the centre of his works are always dazzling moments that flourish in the eye of the recipient. ›It is summer. I lie in a meadow, next to me a wood glade. Then I open my eyes only very briefly, only a crack - and it is precisely this moment that fascinates me. I want to depict this moment in my works‹ says Patrick Cierpka. Exactly such a real moment laid the foundation for the nature light series. When you look at these works, the Clair Obscure solidifies on the retina and, when you turn away from the work of art, it remains in your focus. The great contrast is formed by the blurred colours and the glaring sunlight. The polychrome situation breaks up, the radiant white slowly and delicately changes into a well-tempered shade and dominates the inner picture framing. The viewer is reminded of what he has experienced - the sparkling and shining of sunrays through the branches and twigs of trees, the reflection of light on the water, the captured 'now', the fleeting moment of glitter and sparkle, which becomes present again.
We all have the memory of such a moment in common. The context, however, is different and unique for each of us. Where were we when we experienced this moment, with whom were we, what happened immediately before and after - were we happy or not? The observation of nature becomes a partial, fragmentary trigger for our own memory and emotions. A conceptual shift arises, which separates the painting and the represented subject from itself and abstracts it. The thought triggered by the motif replaces it and gives us the freedom of absolute abstraction, because it is transposed into memory and thoughts.

Read the interview with Patrick Cierpka here!

Patrick Cierpka

    Like the lens of a camera - Patrick Cierpka

    Using acrylic and oil, Patrick Cierpka captures snapshots, small excerpts of a contemplation, on canvas. Some of his works show the play of water and waves with an artistic virtuosity that evokes the joy of contemplating nature in sunshine.

    Patrick Cierpka captures fleeting moments both by day and by night, knows how to depict light and sunshine with color and transports us to pleasant memories. In addition to water, the artist's oeuvre is also concerned with looking up to the sky, through the branches of the trees, blinded by the light of the sun. This incidence of light is captured as if through an open camera lens and transports us mentally to a warm spring day, lying on our backs in the grass and blinking in the sun.

    Real moments of nature find their way into the imagery in an abstract painting style, which reflects visual experiences and evokes complex associations in the viewer: the sparkle and glow of sunbeams through the branches and twigs of trees, the reflection of light on the water, the captured "now", the fleeting moment of flickering. In a glazed application, the colors are blended, standing in direct juxtaposition with white, glaring light, while the standstill of time seems to be captured. Patrick Cierpka captivates us with his luminous, hypnotic moments of painterly blur.

    Patrick Cierpka studied under Karl Horst Hödicke at the University of the Arts and excelled as a master student in the painting class. Today he lives and works in Berlin. He describes the inspiration and imagery behind his own work with the words: "It is summer. I am lying on a meadow, next to me a clearing in the forest. Then I open my eyes for just a moment, just a crack - and it is precisely this moment that fascinates me. I want to depict it in my works."

      Patrick Cierpka, FOLGE, 2020, Acryl und Öl auf Leinwand, 80 x 100 cm
      • MAG.LA Patrick Cierpka Galerie Lachenmann Art

        My favourite - Art spotted ›GESTERNMORGEN II‹ by Patrick Cierpka

        In the new section ›My favourite - Art spotted‹ our employees at Galerie Lachenmann Art present their favourite works. Which work would we like to give a home to ourselves? Why does it inspire us and what does it trigger in us?

        The series begins today with Julia from the gallery in Konstanz. She is particularly fond of Patrick Cierpka's ›GESTERNMORGEN II‹: read more ...

      • MAG.LA Patrick Cierpka Galerie Lachenmann Art

        Behind the Scenes - Meet Patrick Cierpka

        Take a look behind the scenes and get to know Patrick Cierpka!

        What does light mean to you? Light is, among other things, a source of inspiration for my work.

        Is the light on or off when you sleep? Off!

        Where do you get your inspiration from?
        About time from a collection of impressions and experiences, from everyday life and about special moments.

        Read more...