WE.WALK.THE.LINE
"There are happy lines, somber, serious, tragic, exuberant, weak and strong. They are the independent language to represent emotions, energy, rhythm, space, light and movement."
(Alexander Michailowitsch Rodtschenko)
In modernism, artists such as Paul Klee, Alexander Rodchenko or Wassily Kandinsky began to deal with the essence of the line, analyzing the relationship between point, line and surface, but also the different expressive power of lines, thus showing art recipients another universe of art.
They opened the eyes of those interested in art to the fact that the line can also be considered detached from its function as a form-giver, if one directs one's attention to the expressive power of the line itself. Thus, as Dr. Anett Göthe noted in a lecture, Klee conceded to the line "expression, dynamics and psyche", while Kandinsky in his treatise "Point, Line and Surface" clarifies that the line is more than a boundary of surface and emphasizes the inherent dynamics of the line itself. These fundamental thoughts on the line by the representatives of the artistic avant-garde have inspired generations of artists to this day.
The group exhibition WE.WALK.THE.LINE is the 5th exhibition curated by Strelow Walter Artprojects for the art series WE.DO.ART of Schalast Law / Tax.
Six international artistic positions are shown, which impressively demonstrate to the viewer how multifaceted contemporary artists approach the subject of line today. Even though the line is closely related to drawing, the exhibition includes not only drawings on paper, but also collages and paintings.
What they all have in common is that they have approached one of the most important design elements in the visual arts in a sensual, haptic way.
The curators Heike Strelow-Meister and Kerstin Walter have taken Rodschenko's thoughts on line into account when compiling the artists' positions and want to highlight the expressive diversity of the line in the exhibition.
Thus, expressive lines can be found next to reduced ones, figure-forming ones next to freely moving ones, straight lines next to curved ones. They open our eyes to shapes and structures, space and light, rhythm and movement, but also to all that is between and behind the lines. You can download the current exhibition catalog as a PDF here.
