Bettina Sellmann: US PAINTINGS (Teil 1)
Bettina Sellmann
US PAINTINGS
Location 1: Galerie Gilla Lörcher | Temporary, Linienstr. 141, 10115 Berlin
April 25 - May 15, 2015, Opening: Friday, April 24, 2015 from 7 PM
Opening hours: Friday-Saturday 1-6 PM
During Gallery Weekend Berlin: Friday, May 1: 1-9 PM, Saturday, May 2 & Sunday, May 3 11 AM - 7 PM
Location 2: Galerie Gilla Lörcher | Contemporary Art, Pohlstr. 73, 10785 Berlin
May 1 - June 19, 2015, Opening: Friday, May 1, 2015 from 6-9 PM
Opening hours: Wednesday-Saturday 1-6 PM
During Gallery Weekend Berlin: Friday, May 1: 1-9 PM, Saturday, May 2 & Sunday, May 3 11 AM - 7 PM
Galerie Gilla Lörcher is pleased to present US PAINTINGS, the second solo exhibition of Bettina Sellmann.
The presentation of the new works will take place during this year's Gallery Weekend in two locations in Berlin: at the gallery's main site on Pohlstr. 73, 10785 Berlin, and in the temporary space of the gallery at Linienstr. 141, 10115 Berlin.
What does the "US" in the title mean, which one initially associates with the abbreviation for the United States?
Although Bettina Sellmann has been living in Berlin since 2010, she spent 11 years in New York City before that. Even though she consciously avoids the now-inflated American pop references in her choice of motifs, the artist emphasizes the influence of the American metropolis on her painting: "Much more important than content-related references is the influence of a place on the way of painting, for example, through light and atmosphere. Otherwise, there's no need to travel there or live there today, as everything else can be conveniently accessed online." In this sense, US could indeed hint at a biographical chapter.
However, there is another interpretation. In her new paintings, Sellmann draws on childlike colors and forms. Many motifs evoke characters from the kidult consumer culture, which she subjects to a diverse painting style. Thus, the title also recalls the "Us" of the toy company “Toys R Us.”
The artist herself explains that US stands for “Unidentified Self.” - A contradiction in itself? Self-portraits that are now difficult or even impossible to recognize as such. What identifies them as such? What does identity even mean today, both personally and culturally? Bettina Sellmann artistically explores this in a luminous painting style and with a lightness that makes it easy to engage with these images. And perhaps in this way, for some, the English word US also becomes a WE.
Bettina Sellmann studied from 1992 to 1997 at Städelschule in Frankfurt with Jörg Immendorff, Christa Näher, and Thomas Bayrle (Master student). She also earned her Master of Fine Arts at Hunter College in New York City, where she lived for 11 years. Since 2010, she has been living and working in Berlin. She has received several awards, including the Skowhegan Residency and the DAAD annual scholarship.
Her works have been exhibited in numerous galleries and institutions both nationally and internationally (including Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston; University Art Museum, Albany, NY; Derek Eller Gallery, NYC; Bronwyn Keenan Gallery, NYC; Fredericks Freiser Gallery, NYC; American Fine Arts, NYC; Gavin Brown Passerby, NYC; Greener Pastures Gallery, Toronto, Canada; Kinkead Contemporary, Los Angeles; Galerie Frank Schlag, Essen; Wonderloch Kellerland, Berlin, Galerie Gilla Lörcher | Contemporary Art, Berlin) and are part of international private and public collections, including the Olbricht Collection and the Museum of Modern Art, New York City.