ELGER ESSER'S 'AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL'

ELGER ESSER ‘AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL’ 06.03. – 04.04.2015

Terms of sale of all works shown: 10% deposit on reservation. Balance on collection. Prices as of November 2014. All prices listed may change without notice. All prices include GST.

DOMINIK MERSCH GALLERY is pleased to present an exhibition of new works by ELGER ESSER, the subject of this body of work is Australian shipwrecks and lighthouses.

Elger Esser is one of the most prestigious photographic artists. His works can be found in the collections of top museums in New York, Paris or Amsterdam. Born 1967 in Stuttgart, Germany and raised in Rome, he is a graduate of the ‘Becher School’ of the Düsseldorf Kunstakademie. However one cannot immediately detect the formal strictness of the Becher’s in his work. Esser’s photographs seem to be more related to the earliest photography in their romantic static's.

Esser’s oeuvre often deals with ocean expanses, coastal landscapes and seascapes, most specifically in some of his earlier bodies of work such as ‘Vues’ 1996-2000 and ‘Wrecks’ 2006 -2009. A concern of historical landscape photography is one of his central themes.

Australia’s disparate coastline stretches more than 36,000 kilometres. It is a land that has been accessed by the sea, its lighthouses and shipwrecks represent the history of the land and it’s population creating a profound subject. It is remarkably apt for Esser’s eye and sensitivities to be applied thus to this landscape. It is stirring for these insidious locations to extrude the un-insistent suction and calmness unique to his work.

Elger Esser will be present for the opening and some surrounding time. DOMINIK MERSCH GALLERY is pleased to have the opportunity to support the work of such a prestigious artist and honoured to facilitate Esser’s work here in Australia.

‘Wentworth Point #4’

Terms of sale of all works shown: 10% deposit on reservation. Balance on collection. Prices as of November 2014. All prices listed may change without notice. All prices include GST.

‘Wollongong’

Terms of sale of all works shown: 10% deposit on reservation. Balance on collection. Prices as of November 2014. All prices listed may change without notice. All prices include GST.

‘Wentworth Point #2’

Terms of sale of all works shown: 10% deposit on reservation. Balance on collection. Prices as of November 2014. All prices listed may change without notice. All prices include GST.

‘Wentworth Point #1’

‘Hornby’

‘Helensburgh’

Terms of sale of all works shown: 10% deposit on reservation. Balance on collection. Prices as of November 2014. All prices listed may change without notice. All prices include GST.

‘Wentworth Point #3’

Terms of sale of all works shown: 10% deposit on reservation. Balance on collection. Prices as of November 2014. All prices listed may change without notice. All prices include GST.

‘Watson’s Bay’

‘Bradley’s Head’

Terms of sale of all works shown: 10% deposit on reservation. Balance on collection. Prices as of November 2014. All prices listed may change without notice. All prices include GST.

Terms of sale of all works shown: 10% deposit on reservation. Balance on collection. Prices as of March 2015. All prices listed may change without notice. All prices include GST.

‘Bradley’s Head’

‘Wentworth Point #1’

‘Wentworth Point #2’

‘Wentworth Point #3’

‘Wentworth Point #4’

‘Watson’s Bay’

‘Wollongong’

‘Helensburgh’

‘Hornby’

2015, framed, 103 x 123 cm, Hahnemühle Ultrasmooth 100% cotton rag, edition of 7 + 1 a.p., EUR16,000

ELGER ESSER Elger Esser, born 1967 in Stuttgart, Germany and raised in Rome, is a graduate of the ‚Becher class‘ of the Düsseldorfer Kunstakademie. However one can not detect the formal strictness of Bernd Becher in Essers landscape and architectural photography. They seem to be more related to the earliest photography in their romantic static's.

Theses in faded yellow dipped landscapes, mostly taken in France and Italy, are in strange kind of transition; all the details are correct, nothing has been retouched, but still everything seems to be unreal and remote. Just as after a dream, there remain no concrete landscapes but vague impressions and memories of travelling through peaceful scenes, especially river landscapes and coastal regions. Essers merging picture zones of water, sand, snow and clouds create their un-insistent suction by extruding mainly one thing: calmness.

Vita

1967 Born in Stuttgart, Germany 1969-86 Raised in Rome, Italy 1991-97 Studies at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf with Professor Bernd Becher (Acadamy of Fine Arts in Düsseldorf) 1996 Student of master class 1997 Academy diploma 1998 DAAD-travel grant "Italy" Advancement award of Fine Arts of the city of Düsseldorf 2008 Visiting Professor of Photography at Folkwang Hochschule Essen 2006–2009 Professor of Photography at Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design 2010 Rheinischer Kunstpreis 2012 Fellowship Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg (HWK), Institute for Advanced Study, Delmenhorst

Lives and works in Düsseldorf, Germany

Artworks in public collections that include:

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam Stiftung Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf Kunsthaus Zürich, Zurich Fonds national d’art contemporain, Paris Centre Pompidou, Paris Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, Stuttgart Museum der Moderne Salzburg, Salzburg Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien, Vienna DZ Bank Kunstsammlung, Frankfurt SMS Contemporanea, ex Palazzo Delle Papesse, Siena Fundació Foto Colectania, Barcelona LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn

Solo exhibitions

1995 Kulturbahnhof Eller (with M. Koch), Düseldorf, Germany

1997 ‐ Galerie Andreas Grimm, Palma, Spain Kunstverein Hagen, Hagen, Germany

1998 Kunstverein Siegen, Siegen, Germany Galerie de Zaal (with Michel Sauer), Delft, Netherlands Alte Post Neuss, Neuss, Germany Galerie Inge Friebe, Lüdenssceid, Germany Galerie 213, Paris, France Kunstraum Duesseldorf (Advancement Award of Fine Arts, City of Duesseldorf), Duesseldorf, Germany

1999 Ileana Sonnabend Gallery, New York, USA Galerie Andreas Grimm, Palma, Spain neg‐gallery, Milano, Italy

2000 Alte Feuerwache Mannheim (with Sigune Sievi), Mannheim, Germany Galerie Ruediger Schöttle, Muenchen, Germany Galerie Inge Friebe, Luedenscheid, Germany Galerie 213, Paris, France Galerie de Zaal, Delft, Netherlands

2001 Galerie Johnen & Schöttle (with Candice Breitz), Köln, Germany Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Salzburg, Austria Ileana Sonnabend Gallery, New York, USA Michael Hue‐Williams Fine Art, London, Great Britain Galleria d’Arte Moderna Villa delle Rose, Bologna, Italy

2002 Galleria Alessandra Bonomo, Roma, Italy Galerie Sfeir‐Semler, Hamburg, Germany Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris, France Palazzo delle Papesse – Centro Arte Contemporanea (with Olivo Barbieri), Siena, Italy

2003 Kunsthalle Rostock, Rostock, Germany Ileana Sonnabend Gallery, New York, USA Galerie Johnen + Schöttle, Köln, Germany Galerie Ruediger Schöttle, Muenchen, Germany

2004 Galerie de Zaal (with Christina Doll), Delft, Netherlands Galerie Sfeir‐Semler, Hamburg, Germany Fondation Herzog, Basel, Schwitzerland Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Salzburg, Austria

2005 Ileana Sonnabend Gallery, New York, USA Galerie Johnen + Schöttle, Köln, Germany Galleria Alessandra Bonomo, Roma, Italy Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris, France

2006 Galerie Ruediger Schöttle, Muenchen, Germany Gana Art Center (with Bae Bien‐U), Seoul, Korea Musée de la Cohue, Vannes, France Haggerty Museum, Milwaukee, USA Galerie de Zaal, Delft, Netherlands Galería Fúcares, Madrid, Spain

2007 Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, USA Ileana Sonnabend Gallery, New York, USA Galerie Sfeir‐Semler, Hamburg, Germany Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris, France

2008 Galerie Johnen + Schöttle, Köln, Germany Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Salzburg, Austria FO.KU.S – Foto Kunst Stadtforum – Innsbruck, Austria Galleria Alessandra Bonomo, Roma, Italy Rose Gallery, Santa Monica, USA

2009 Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, Stuttgart Galleria Bonomo, Bari, Italy DOMINIK MERSCH GALLERY, Sydney, Australia Sonnabend Gallery, New York, USA

2010 Museum voor Moderne Kunst, Arnhem Galerie Rudiger Schöttle, Munich Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Salzburg, Austria Galerie Sfeir-Semler, Hamburg Galería Fúcares, Madrid, Spain Photobiennale Moscow, Exhibition Hall "New Manege", Moscow

2011 ‘Landscapes and heliogravures’, DOMINIK MERSCH GALLERY, Sydney, Australia Arc, Lys et Douville. Neue Heliogravuren, Kunstforum Baloise, Basel Noctumes, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris, France Ileana Sonnabend Gallery, New York, USA Galerie Sfeir‐Semler, Beirut Rose Gallery, Santa Monica, USA 2012 Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kultur geschichte Oldenburg, Oldenburg Galería Kewenig, Palma de Mallorca Katz Contemporary, Zurich Galleria Alessandra Bonomo, Rome LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, Bonn 2013 Sonnabend Gallery, New York Institut für moderne Kunst Nürnberg Elger Esser. Schirmer/Mosel Showroom, Munich Nocturnes à Giverny. Photographies de Elger Esser, Pôle Image Haute-Normandie, Rouen Elger Esser Heliogravure. Galerie de Zaal, Delft

2014 Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle, Munich The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Tampa Kewenig Galerie, Berlin Galleria Alessandra Bonomo, Rome Fundació Palma Espai d'art, Casal Solleric, Palma de Mallorca Sonnabend Gallery, New York

2015 Harmas de Fabre, Sérignan-du-Comtat Rose Gallery, Santa Monica Dominik Mersch Gallery, Sydney

Selected group exhibitions

1996 "Auslöser: Professionelle Fotografie Hafen Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany aus Duesseldorf (Shutter: Professional Photography from Duesseldorf)"

1998 "Landschaftsbilder" Städtische Galerie Tuttlingen, Tuttlingen, Germany "Umgebung und Aussicht" Galerie Cora Hölzl, Duesseldorf, Germany Galerie Lisi Hämmerle, Bregenz, Austria "When season becomes form" Kulturallianzen, Köln, Germany

1999 "Insight Out – Landschaft und Interieur Kunstraum Innsbruck / Kunsthaus Baselland / als Thema zeitgenössischer Photografie" Kunsthaus Hamburg "views from the edge of the world" Marlborough Gallery, New York, USA "Landschaften" de Vleeshal, Middelburg, Netherlands "VISA" Galerie Johnen & Schöttle, Köln, Germany "Landschaften" Galerie Carolin Lindig, Nuernberg, Germany "Lawrence Beck, Elger Esser, Ileana Sonnabend Gallery, New York, USA Hiroshi Sugimoto" "Biennale della Fotografia" Fondazione Italiana per la Fotografia, Torino, Italy

2000 "The Sea and the Sky" Beaver College Art Gallery, Glenside, USA Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, Ireland "Friesland is" Friesmuseum, Leeuwarden, Netherlands "Landscapes ‐ Portraits" Michael Hue Williams Fine Art, London, Great Britain "Retrospective" Ileana Sonnabend Gallery, New York, USA

2001 "Christina Doll, Elger Esser, Galerie Sfeir‐Semler, Hamburg, Germany M. van Ofen" "ohne zögern / without hesitation ‐ Neues Museum Weserburg Bremen, Germany Die Sammlung Olbricht Teil 2"

2002 "Aus Duesseldorf" Galerie Baronian‐Francey, Brussels, Belgium "in szene gesetzt – Architektur in der Museum fuer Neue Kunst / ZKM Karlsruhe, Germany Fotografie der Gegenwart" Städtische Galerie Erlangen, Germany kunsthaus kaufbeuren, Germany "heute bis jetzt. zeitgenössische museum kunst palast, Duesseldorf, Germany fotografie aus duesseldorf" "10 young german artists" Galerie de Zaal, Delft, Netherlands "moving pictures" Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain "now, what is photo" Gana Art Gallery, Seoul, Korea "Zwischen Konstruktion & Wirklichkeit" Suermondt‐Ludwig‐Museum, Aachen, Germany "From Pop to Now" Tang‐Museum, Saratoga Springs, USA "Photobiennale Moscow" Moscow House of Photography, Moscow, Russia

2003 "Kunsthalle I" Kunsthalle Mannheim, Germany

2004 "Vague II ‐ Hommage et digressions / Musée Malraux, Le Havre, France Waves II – Homages and Digressions" "Art History: Photography Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, USA References Painting"

2005 "angekommen – Die Sammlung im Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany eigenen Haus" "Landschaft als Metapher" Ursula Blickle Stiftung, Kraichtal‐Unteröwisheim, Germany "dreamscape" Aeroplastic contemporary, Brussels, Belgium "The City: Contemporary Views of Lehman College Art Gallery, New York, USA the Built Environment" "Halte Brussels" Vlaams‐Nederlands Huis, Brussels, Belgium "Flight 405" Galerie Sfeir‐Semler, Beirut, Lebanon Galerie Sfeir‐Semler, Hamburg, Germany "XL Photographs" Barbara Mathes Gallery, New York, USA "Memoria y Tiempo" Fundació Foto Colectania, Barcelona, Spain

2006 "Paisajes" Galeria Arnes y Röpke, Madrid, Spain "Arcadia" Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, USA "Room with a view ‐ The Bouwfonds Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Den Haag, Netherlands Art Collection" "Les Peintres de la vie moderne" Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France "Fotokunst aus NRW" Flottmann Hallen, Herne, Germany

2007 "FOTO.KUNST" Essl Museum, Klosterneuburg, Austria "berlin_nl" Niederländische Botschaft, Berlin, Germany "Seestuecke. Von Max Beckmann Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany bis Gerhard Richter" "Less Roses" Galerie Sfeir‐Semler, Beirut, Lebanon

2008 "True North" Deutsche Guggenheim, Berlin, Germany "Stille Landschaften" Städtische Galerie Luedenscheid, Luedenscheid, Germany "Objectivités, la Photographie à Duesseldorf" Musée d´Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris, France

2009 “TAGO - MAGO”. Galería Fúcares_Almagro & Espacio de arte Hospital de San Juan de Dios. Almagro, Spain.

“Voyages pittoresques. Normandie 1820-2009”. Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen, Le Château - Caen, France.

Les Rencontres D'Arles Photographie. Arles, France.

“Fotos que ver en Madrid cuando aún no estés muerto...de calor”. Galería Fúcares_Madrid, Spain.

2010 Der rote Bulli: Stephan Shore und die neue Düsseldorfer Fotografie. NRW-Forum Kultur und Wirtschaft, Düsseldorf.

Viaggio in Italia, sguardi internazionali sull’Italia contemporanea. Palazzo Fabroni, Pistoia Collezioni Contemporanee. sms santa maria della scala, Siena.

Konstellationen. Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig, Vienna.

Et in Arcadia Ego. Paraísos cercanos. TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes, Tenerife.

The Düsseldorf School of Photography. Bernd & Hilla Becher, Thomas Ruff, Candida Höfer, In Sook Kim, Elger Esser.

Richard Levy Gallery, Albuquerque.

IMAGINÁRIO DA PAISAGEM. Obras da BesArt - colecção Banco Espírito Santo. CAV Centro de artes Visuais. Encontros de Fotografia, Coimbra.

ZERO. Schauwerk Sindelfingen, Sindelfingen.

2011 Les Territoires du désir ou les métamorphoses d’un musée imaginaire. Musée d’Art moderne André Malraux - MuMa, Le Havre. light-sensitive – Contemporary Photography from the Schaufler Collection. Schauwerk Sindelfingen, Sindelfingen.

Welt-(er)-findung, zeitgenössische Photographie - Collection Olbricht. Kunsthaus Villa Jauss, Oberstdorf.

La ciudad magnífica. Arquitecturas en la colección CIRCA-XX Pilar Citoler. The Andalusian Centre of Photography, Almería.

Kunst befreit! Neupräsentation der Sammlung. Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf.

ILEANA SONNABEND. AN ITALIAN PORTRAIT. Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, Venice.

2012 Im Schein des Unendlichen - Romantik und Gegenwart. Altana Kulturstiftung, Sinclair-Haus, Bad Homburg Fotografia Contemporanea Tedesca La Scuola di Düsseldorf. Galleria Alberto Peola, Torino Religion und Riten. DZ Bank Kunstsammlung. Art Foyer, Frankfurt am Main Kalte Rinden - Seltene Erden. Märkisches Museum Witten / Stadtmuseum Hattingen Nine x Nine. Rose Gallery, Santa Monica Kalte Rinden - Seltene Erden. Stadtgalerie Kiel Landscape: Scene / Re-seen. The Westport Arts Center, Westport Exposition photographique: Eaux précieuses – Eaux sauvages. Galerie d’art du Conseil général. Hôtel de Castillon, Aixen-Provence Les Territoires du désir ou les métamorphoses d’un musée imaginaire.

Musée d’Art moderne André Malraux - MuMa, Le Havre Il Fuoco Della Natura / The Flash of Nature. Salone degli Incanti, ex Pescheria, Trieste

2013 Kalte Rinden - Seltene Erden. Städtische Galerie Bietigheim-Bissingen