Minimalist abstraction @ Lausberg

Lausberg Contemporary's recent group show is another showcase of its strong line-up of minimalist/abstractionist artists.  It is THE place to visit in Toronto to see contemporary minimalist abstraction.  Each participating artist can easily put up a strong solo exhibition.  In fact, most of them already did.

Franco DeFrancesca:

Frank Piasta:

Harald Schmitz-Schmelzer:

Joseph Drapell:

Michael Laube:

Wolfram Ullrich:

Abts: warm colours vs cold geometry

I have been a fan of Tomma Abts for quite a few years.  So when I figured last evening that she is currently having a show at Düsseldorf's Kunsthalle, I had to go and see it the first thing today.  Her geometric compositions are the result of a slow and rigorous production process, with layers after layers of paint applied over constant construction and deconstruction on canvas.  The faint lines of underlying layers make the compositions interesting.  Her use of earth-toned warm colours with cold geometry is so uniquely Abts.

Abts at Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, 2011:

For the first time ever, her barely known drawings are also on view:

I love Düsseldorf.

Shayuk's abstract landscape

Morley Shayuk's new show Living Colour opened yesterday at Toronto's Paul Petro Contemporary Art.  I love his idea of breaking down landscape elements into abstract forms.

German abstraction in T.O.

Lausberg Contemporary is a Duesseldorf-based art gallery with international showrooms, one being here in Toronto.  It is one of my most visited galleries because of its frequent showing of contemporary German abstraction.  Jürgen Paas is probably my most favourite artist showing at Lausberg.  I have seen his works both in Duesseldorf and in Toronto.  I even got a chance to visit his studio in Essen last year.  I love the mathematical clarity and the industrial precision of his minimalist works.

Paas, 2010:

My other favourite artists at Lausberg include Michael Laube, Achim Zeman and Harald Schmitz-Schmelzer.

Schmitz-Schmelzer, 2009:

German geometric abstraction

I have been following contemporary German art for the past few years.  The early 20th century Russian avant garde pioneer of geometric abstraction Kazimir Malevich has been a major inspiration for the German artist Imi Knoebel's artistic creations.  While Malevich's approach to art is almost religious, Knoebel's is apparently more playful.  I was ecstatic to find Knoebel's installation Genter Raum at Duesseldorf's K21 last summer:

Another German artist Gerhard Richter's artistic practice is more diversified.  He has simultaneously produced abstract and photorealistic works.  I saw the paintings from his Colour Charts series at Duisburg's Museum Küppersmühle für Moderne Kunst in 2009:

Konkrete kunst

The term konkrete kunst (concrete art, not the art of concrete!) was first introduced by Theo van Doesburg in 1930 and developed in the following decades by various artists, most notably Max Bill.  This form of abstraction rejects any symbolical association with reality.  Nothing is more concrete than lines or colours.  There are a few art museums in Germany specialized in konkrete kunst, including Museum für Konkrete Kunst in Ingolstadt:

Bridget Riley at Museum im Kulturspeicher, Würzburg 2010:

Josef Albers at Josef Albers Museum, Bottrop 2010: