DIALOG: VALERIE KRAUSE FRIEDRICH MEYER

The SHI FANG Fine Art Gallery in Düsseldorf invites you to the opening of the exhibition DIALOG: Valerie Krause Friedrich Meyer on January 24, 2015, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM.

Designed as a dialogue, the exhibition featuring artists Valerie Krause and Friedrich Meyer takes place under unique circumstances: the Düsseldorf-based artist Valerie Krause trained as a stonemason under Friedrich Meyer before beginning her studies in fine arts at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. In this exhibition, the two artists, who share the roles of teacher and student, engage in a dialogue that allows for the exploration of their mutual influences. More importantly, the differing aesthetics and working methods of the artists lend a discursive quality to the exhibition, providing a platform to reflect on concepts of dynamics, structure, and space in sculptural and three-dimensional work.

Before Valerie Krause (born 1976) began her studies at the Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf, where she graduated from Didier Vermeiren's class, she completed her stonemasonry training with Friedrich Meyer. Currently, however, her personal work does not adhere to traditional stone sculpture; instead, she creates often amorphous sculptures from various materials. As part of the exhibition, she presents several sculptures, three-dimensional works, and photographs. The materials Valerie Krause uses for her sculptures and three-dimensional works shape the character of her pieces: they consist of materials that she molds and then allows to solidify. This process involves translating conceptual ideas into sensually tangible works, as well as subverting aesthetic assumptions. Valerie Krause's works appear light and ethereal, contrasting with the often very massive materials.

The works represent solidified movement, moments of transfer and the impact of forces. It is therefore not surprising that, in addition to her sculptural work, Valerie Krause also engages in photography.

The photographs on display have been cropped, creating a sense of interruption between the photography and the space. They stand in an intriguing contrast to the works of Friedrich Meyer, whose seemingly complete stones are playfully engaged by the open structure of Valerie Krause's works. The two positions complement each other without canceling each other out.

Friedrich Meyer (born 1939) did not study at an art academy; he is a master stonemason, yet his work transcends the boundary between pure craftsmanship and art. His oeuvre is diverse, with gravestones being the main focus, which he creates on commission while always maintaining an artistic ambition. He does not see himself as a producer of goods but as a storyteller of his clients' histories. In addition to gravestones, his workshop produces free works, such as the monoliths made of black granite on display. The stones Friedrich Meyer works with are chosen for their natural forms, which he then shapes primarily using various hand tools. Through the artist's intervention, the stones are elevated from their narrative of naturalness, cultivated, and transformed into a closed and pure form. This process grants them an iconic presence, enhanced by their smooth surfaces and the weight of the stones. Upon closer inspection, one notices the fine craftsmanship of the stones. The surfaces appear dynamic, giving the stone blocks an almost fluid quality that contrasts with their materiality, creating a tension reminiscent of classical music.