Henry Woller

Through the entrance of the reception of the painter's subject as a mythical being, Henry Wollers paintings explore the question about the role and the state of painting in times of an art after art. In doing so, over and over again he manicly incantates the myth-enshrouded persona of Grace Kelly, supreme example of a (white) ideal of absolute beauty, and, according to reliable sources, the fairiest actress of all times. The absolute artificial surface of the legendary celebrety serves as a metaphor covering two issues at the same time: the ongoing presence and persistence of historical conflicts and their multiple ways of how they're being staged in the field of power of the aesthetics and the arts.

At the same moment, he questions the handed-down, poured-in-concrete-image of the painter as the male hero. Bu, despite this act of silent rebellion, Graces beauty is never to be trusted. She remains as a shady character and she never gives a smile. Perhaps even her feminity is a hoax: often her shoulders are larger than allowed and her jawline could crack nuts. Underneath the aryan godess' noble skin, there resides the seductive evil spirit of an ideal of representation and privilege, who, as it appears, simply cannot die. Affirmation, staginess, humiliation, deconstruction and critic all seem to constantly change parts and in the end remain indistinguishable. The fractured thirties-font entitles the paintings and has nothing to do with them (according to the artist, they are "absolutely arbitrary"). The fraternisation of the diagnosctic view and the oeillade of the romantic escapism complicit the viewer in a zero-sum-game, in which the artists functions as the agent of all players involved.

Henry Woller

8.2.-15.3. 2017 "Dr. Pi und die Quadratur des Kreises", Group Show, Aldo Cristofaro, Erik Schmidt, Klaus vom Bruch, Karsten Konrad, Ralf Ziervogel,

13.3.2016     Placet Charity Auction, Hotel de Rome, Berlin

01.4.2016    Welfenakademie Braunschweig, Groupshow presented by Artgeschoss.com

2015             „Redemption Jokes“ NGBK, Berlin, Group Show

2015             „Miniatur“ Codex, Berlin, Group show

2013             „Drive the Change“ 100plus Artspace, Zürich, Group Show

2010            „Herbst der Gammler“, FMAB-Galerie, Berlin, Einzelausstellung

2010            „Night Of The Pawn“, Spinnerei Leipzig, Gruppenschau

2010            „Superkeit“  Galerie Anna Klinkhammer, Düsseldorf, Group Show

2009            „Terra Vulgaris“ , Ballhaus Ost, Berlin, Einzelausstellung

2009           „8 x Tyksland“, Edswick Konsthall, Stockholm, Schweden, Group show

2009           „Der die das/ wer wie was/ wieso weshalb warum wer nicht fragt, bleibt dumm“, FMAB-Galerie Berlin,

solo exhibition

2008           Fünfter Berliner Kunstsalon

2008          „ South/ East/ West/My Oh My“, AA-Galleries, Berlin, Einzelausstellung

2007          „Empowerment“, Galerie Abel Neue Kunst, Berlin, Group Show

2007         „Autobahn“, Galerie Mille Dair , Berlin, Einzelausstellung

2007          Vierter Berliner Kunstsalon

2007         „The Gunslinger and other Stories“, AA-Galleries, Berlin, Group Show

2007         „Snieze“, AA-Galleries, London, Group Show

2006         „About Life“ Gallery Galou, New York City, Group show

2006         „Der  kleine Maulwurf und seine Freunde“, Galerie Mille Dair, Berlin, 2006,

2005         Zweiter Berliner Kunstsalon

2005         Liverpool Biennale, Independents