June 1st, 2005
Gallery guide
Gottfried Helnwein
USA
Displayed at Modernism, San Francisco
Born in Vienna in 1948, Gottfried Helnwein has developed a very powerful and idiosyncratic visual vocabulary reflected in his masterful use of multiple media (painting, drawing, photography, performance, and stage design). Helnwein addresses a broad range of social and political issues, resulting in challenging and provocative artworks. Although at times very disturbing, these works are consistently moving, and seek spiritual beauty often approaching the transcendental.
“My childhood was a horror — born right after the war, I lived in a world of deep depression and unlimited boredom. All the grown-ups looked ugly and devastated. I never saw anybody laughing and I never heard anybody sing. I always felt I have landed in limbo. A two dimensional world without colors, my real life began when I got my first Mickey Mouse comic book from the Americans — when I opened a three dimensional world full of colors and wonders. ”
— Gottfried Helnwein
in a letter to curator Robert Flynn Johnson
Modernism
685 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-541-0461
fax 415-541-0425
www.modernisminc.com