ANDRÉ BUTZER

(B. 1973)

Ohne Titel
2006

Footnotes

This work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné being prepared by the André Butzer Archive.

Provenance
Galerie Guido W. Baudach, Berlin
Private Collection, Europe
Sale: Kunsthaus Lempertz, Auktion 960: Zeitgenössische Kunst, 2 June 2010, Lot 686
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner



Ohne Titel, 2006 is a signature work from André Butzer's early figurative series depicting arguably the artist's most iconic character, the Wanderer. Instantly recognisable, the misshapen figure looms out from the canvas filling the entire plane in a cacophony of bright colour and texture. Paint is applied in generous swathes, with ribbons squeezed directly from paint tubes to the Wanderer's chest creating a chaotic storm of coloured grids that is played out across the surface whilst thick lashings of impasto to the Wanderer's face appear as if the flesh is slowly melting. The over-inflated head features three swollen protuberances on each side of his face, like old fashioned whiskers, and large gawking eyes that stare out as if entranced. The absence of a neck and the strange long arms contrasted against the short legs defy the natural proportions and physiognomy of the graceful human form favoured by artists over the centuries. Here, the figure is an antithesis to the romanticised notion of elegance and is rather a representation; a character of Butzer's Science-Fiction-Expressionism and inhabitant of his fictional outer space universe NASAHEIM, a term that takes inspiration from NASA and is derived from the German word 'heim' which translates to 'home'. Despite his otherworldliness, the Wanderer also possesses overtures of friendliness and an air of humanity, perhaps best expressed through his awkward yet amiable smile and resemblance to familiar cartoon characters.

Underpinning Butzer's practice is a strong foundation based around mass culture. Pop iconography and titles such as Chips Und Pepsi und Medizin (Das Glück) from 2003 alongside the more sinister inscriptions of 'nuclear assault' in Schutztod (Teil 1), 1999, refer to Butzer's childhood in Cold War Western Germany in the 1970s. As Hans Werner Holzwarth articulates: 'The new gods have brought Mickey Mouse, Coca-Cola, potato chips, Star Wars. They also bring the promise of death by atom or blood sugar.' (Hans Werner Holzwarth in: Lutz Eitel (Ed.), André Butzer, Cologne 2021, p. 6). American cartoons and in particular the world of Walt Disney would have a profound impact on Butzer's career. Disney's early animations with their propensity for slap stick comedy juxtaposed against a comedic violence are frequent sources throughout his oeuvre. Indeed, the Wanderer possesses the over exaggerated features and wears the same white gloves as seen on the beloved character Mickey Mouse.

Drawing upon modern masters including Edvard Munch, Henry Matisse and Paul Cezanne, and influenced by such contemporary icons as Albert Oehlen and Gerhard Richter, Butzer reinterprets the past by recycling and reusing in a continuous sequence of examination and renewal. In the various depictions of the Wanderer, one is often reminded of Munch's masterpiece The Scream from 1903. Set against an expressionist landscape, the agonised face of the main character in Munch's painting resembles the foreign features of the Wanderer traversing NASAHEIM, evident in such works as Auf der Kleinen Wiese, 2003. 'There is nothing worse than being contemporary. But I actually see myself as a radical traditionalist, otherwise you can't really do anything new. I continue what others have started.' (the artist in: Lutz Eitel (Ed.), André Butzer, Cologne 2021, p. 150).

Born in Stuttgart in 1973, Butzer's celebrated paintings combine European Expressionism with the themes of Popular Culture and mass consumerism, creating his own distinct aesthetic of brightly coloured figures and cosmic landscapes through to the minimalistic black and white compositions. The earlier works executed in the 90s often employ a darker palette with tones of grey and black, with figures that are rendered in a more ethereal and ghost-like interpretation. Whilst Butzer continues to employ this monochromatic palette throughout his career, it was the introduction of bold hues and gaudy exuberant tones as evident in the present work, that has cemented Butzer firmly within the canon of contemporary art.

Highly sought after internationally, Butzer's works can be found in the esteemed collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago; Denver Art Museum, Denver; Kunsthalle Emden, Emden; LACMA Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles; Miettinen Collection, Berlin; Taschen Collection, Los Angeles; and the Rubell Family Collection, Miami.