GOTTFRIED SALZMANN
NEW YORK NEW YORK
NEW YORK GOTTFRIED SALZMANN
NEW YORK Franklin Bowles Galleries
San Francisco / New York
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Gottfried Salzmann in New York This exhibition focuses on Gottfried Salzmann’s American-related artwork, presenting a selection of 45 works created between 2012 and 2014. Largely inspired by regular visits to New York City, the collection highlights Salzmann’s penchant for creating complex image structure with the use of a variety of techniques: watercolor, mixed media, photography and collage. The site-specific context of the artwork is characteristic of Gottfried Salzmann’s creative output of the last five decades. This new group of works shows the development of a highly-refined and unique visual language, always determined by the local experience of the artist. In other words, Salzmann responds to environments with a recognizable iconography, communicating his vision with formal and established artistic concepts.
I was there, and my pictures record what I saw.
Gottfried Salzmann was born in Saalfelden, Austria, in 1943. In the 1960s he studied in Vienna and Paris, and quickly established an international reputation as a master of watercolor. Salzmann’s technical brilliance with watercolor and his use of dramatic motifs creates a suspenseful dialogue with his other media. His mixed-media collages and charcoal drawings combined with his more recent use of photography create his unique visual language. Regardless of the media used in each work of art, one can always find a biographical and artistic context. Each of Salzmann’s series of work is a result of personal experiences in Austria, France and the United States. Each artwork conveys his tendency to react to situations with his own artistic voice. Over and over, one encounters tension between the urban and natural landscape, transformed in nuanced shades and atmospheric blurring balanced with vibrant color spaces and dynamic imagery. Salzmann is most passionate about his work portraying different concepts of reality. The real essence, the reflected truth of photographically recorded scenes is the successful attempt to portray visual experience as percieved emotion. Emblematic of a highly aesthetic intelligence, urban and natural landscapes merge harmoniously with the artist’s own sensory experience. New York City is more than an inspiring urban landscape for Gottfried Salzmann. New York, with its streets, parks, architecture, and public surfaces is part of a greater System that is intertwined with artistic sensibility. Salzmann evokes a precise and intuitive artistic approach to communicate a fascinating visual manifestation of the city in both macro and micro. Salzmann visualizes the city as macrocosm, described in microcosm. Walls of buildings with torn placards and posters speak of the city as much as lights illuminating the city streets. Each of these motifs is dealt with expertly. To properly understand the complete works of Gottfried Salzmann, one will most likely have to see each of his paintings as an expression of personal experience or perception. Salzmann is a close observer and brilliant translator. His images and the language of his art have an immediate and direct testimony: “I was there and my pictures record what I saw.” Martin Hochleitner, Director of the Salzburg Museum, Austria Spring 2015 Translated from the original German
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Cerulean Sky watercolor on paper 22 x 15 inches 57 x 38 centimeters 2013
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From Helicopter, III watercolor on paper 30 x 16 inches 76 x 40 centimeters 2014
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Les Yeux Rouge mixed media on photograph 76 x 44 inches 195 x 114 centimeters 2014
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NY Backyard, I mixed media, photograph on canvas 21 x 10.5 inches 54 x 27 centimeters 2013
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NY Backyard, II mixed media, photograph on canvas 21 x 10.5 inches 54 x 27 centimeters 2013
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NY Reflection, I watercolor on paper 22 x 15 inches 57 x 38 centimeters 2012
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NY Reflection, II watercolor on paper 18 x 12 inches 47 x 30 centimeters 2009
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NY Contrejour, I watercolor on paper 20 x 25 inches 50.5 x 64.5 centimeters 2014
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(facing page) Your 933-0 mixed media, collage on wood 45 x 28 inches 116 x 73 centimeters 2013
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From Helicopter, II watercolor on paper 30 x 16 inches 76 x 40 centimeters 2014
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“T� watercolor, collage on wood 45 x 28 inches 116 x 73 centimeters 2014
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Midtown, I watercolor on paper 18 x 19 inches 47 x 48 centimeters 2012
NY Stripes watercolor on paper 20 x 19 inches 51 x 49 centimeters 2013
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ALN watercolor, collage on wood 51 x 35 inches 130 x 89 centimeters 2014
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Black Line watercolor on paper 30 x 12 inches 76 x 30 centimeters 2014
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No Parking Tuesday (Lady Gaga) mixed media, photograph, collage on wood 31 x 39 inches 80 x 100 centimeters 2014
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(facing page) Western Waterfront watercolor on paper 30 x 19.5 inches 76 x 50 centimeters 2014
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NY – To South watercolor on paper 42 x 29 inches 108 x 74 centimeters 2014
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(facing page) St. Patrick’s watercolor on paper 28 x 19.5 inches 73 x 50 centimeters 2014
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NY Hudson River watercolor on paper 42.5 x 29 inches 109 x 74 centimeters 2013
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Need Love mixed media, photograph, collage on wood 51 x 35 inches 130 x 89 centimeters 2014
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(facing page) Brooklyn Bridge watercolor on paper 25 x 19.5 inches 65 x 50 centimeters 2013
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NY Brun mixed media on photograph 19 x 7 inches 49 x 19 centimeters 2009
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Chrysler Building mixed media on photograph 29 x 20 inches 75 x 51 centimeters 2008
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New York in Blue watercolor on paper 36 x 59 inches 91 x 150 centimeters 2014
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West Village mixed media on photograph 20 x 13 inches 50.5 x 33 centimeters 2008
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Lady Gaga mixed media on photograph 76 x 44 inches 195 x 114 centimeters 2014
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(facing page) Crossroads watercolor on paper 30 x 20 inches 76 x 51 centimeters 2014
From Helicopter, IV watercolor on paper 20 x 12 inches 51 x 32 centimeters 2014
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Street Ravine watercolor on paper 20 x 5 inches 51 x 14 centimeters 2013
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3 1/2 % watercolor, photograph, collage on wood 39 x 28 inches 100 x 73 centimeters 2014
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Times Square, from Above watercolor on paper 19 x 24 inches 49 x 61.5 centimeters 2014
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Need Money mixed media, photograph, collage on wood 51 x 35 inches 130 x 89 centimeters 2014
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NY Bleu Rouge watercolor on paper 42 x 29 inches 108.5 x 73.5 centimeters 2013
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NY Contrejour, II mixed media on photograph 15 x 10.5 inches 39 x 27 centimeters 2013
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NY Publicity mixed media on photograph 19 x 14 inches 49.5 x 35 centimeters 2013
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NY SIGHTSEE mixed media, photograph, collage on wood 39 x 19.5 inches 100 x 50 centimeters 2013 – 2014
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Must See mixed media, photograph, collage on canvas 45 x 67 inches 115 x 176 centimeters 2010
(facing page) Yellow Cab mixed media, photograph, collage on canvas 70 x 24 inches 180 x 62 centimeters 2014
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NY Central Park watercolor on paper 25 x 10 inches 64 x 25 centimeters 2014
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NY – To North watercolor on paper 42 x 29 inches 108 x 74 centimeters 2014
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New York Midtown mixed media on photograph 29 x 20 inches 74 x 50.5 centimeters 2006
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NY: from the Soho Grand Looking East mixed media on photograph 20 x 30 inches 50.5 x 76 centimeters 2008
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From Helicopter, I watercolor on paper 34 x 16 inches 87 x 41 centimeters 2014
(facing page) Thers mixed media, photograph, collage on wood 57 x 35 inches 146 x 89 centimeters 2014
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NY Bleu Outremer watercolor on paper 29 x 20 inches 75 x 50.5 centimeters 2007
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The Fence mixed media on photograph 10 x 23 inches 26 x 58 centimeters 2014
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NY – LM watercolor, collage on canvas 30 x 22 inches 76 x 57.5 centimeters 2012
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EBRUA (Jim Morrison) mixed media, photograph, collage on wood 39 x 28 inches 100 x 73 centimeters 2014
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NY Phototrace, II watercolor on photograph 29 x 20 inches 74 x 51 centimeters 2006
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NY Phototrace, I watercolor on photograph 29 x 20 inches 74 x 51 centimeters 2006
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NY Blue Light watercolor on paper 17.5 x 11 inches 45 x 28 centimeters 2013
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NY Greyday watercolor on paper 23 x 15 inches 58 x 39.5 centimeters 2013
Midtown, II watercolor on paper 25 x 20 inches 65 x 51 centimeters 2012
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Folded, I watercolor on paper 23 x 29 inches 59 x 75 centimeters 2012
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Folded, II watercolor on paper 29 x 43 inches 75 x 110.5 centimeters 2014
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Folded, III watercolor on paper 29 x 43 inches 74 x 110.5 centimeters 2012
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Index MIXED MEDIA mixed media, collage on wood:
13 Your 933-0 mixed media on photograph
31 Chrysler Building 35 Lady Gaga 7
Les Yeux Rouge
54 New York Midtown 55 NY: from the Soho Grand Looking East 30 NY Brun 44 NY Contrejour, II 45 NY Publicity 59 The Fence 34 West Village mixed media, photograph, collage on canvas:
49 Must See 48 Yellow Cab mixed media, photograph, collage on wood:
61 EBRUA (Jim Morrison) 27 Need Love 42 Need Money 20 No Parking Tuesday (Lady Gaga) 47 NY SIGHTSEE 57 Thers mixed media, photograph on canvas:
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NY Backyard, I
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NY Backyard, II
WATERCOLOR watercolor, collage on canvas:
watercolor on photograph:
60 NY – LM
63 NY Phototrace, I 62 NY Phototrace, II
watercolor, collage on wood:
18 ALN
watercolor, photograph, collage on wood:
16 “T”
40 3 1/2 %
watercolor on paper:
19 Black Line 29 Brooklyn Bridge 5
Cerulean Sky
36 Crossroads 66 Folded, I 68 Folded, II 69 Folded, III 56 From Helicopter, I 14 From Helicopter, II 6
From Helicopter, III
37 From Helicopter, IV 17 Midtown, I 65 Midtown, II 33 New York in Blue 43 NY Bleu Rouge 58 NY Bleu Outremer
Summer 2015
64 NY Blue Light
Project Manager:
52 NY Central Park
Stacey Bellis
12 NY Contrejour, I 65 NY Greyday 26 NY Hudson River 10 NY Reflection, I 11
NY Reflection, II
17 NY Stripes 53 NY – To North 24 NY – To South
Photography:
Art photography – Jean Louis Losi NYC Aerials – Matthew Cortright and Gottfried Salzmann Studio interiors – Phebe Carter Digital Imaging:
Scott Saraceno Catalog Design:
Susan Tsuchiya
25 St. Patrick’s 38 Street Ravine 41 Times Square, from Above 21 Western Waterfront
Front/back covers: New York in Blue (detail) Page 1: NY Contrejour, I (detail) Page 70 and inside back cover: NY Contrejour, I (detail)
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www.franklinbowlesgallery.com $40