Tatjana Doll
Bier für Öl (Ein Blinder Passagier)
22.05. – 26.06.2005

One of the anecdotes from the Kunstverein’s more than 100 years of exhibition activity is the story of the presentation of an equestrian portrait of Emperor Frederick III in the Christmas exhibition of 1896. The painting by Ferdinand Keller showed the emperor larger than life. According to the art association’s annual report, it was painted in a lively and dynamic style, showing the emperor’s magnificent figure to its best advantage. Unfortunately, however, the art association’s exhibition space in the former town hall next to the large church was not high enough. As a result, the impressive work could only be presented by leaning it diagonally against the wall. The Bremerhaven Art Association has never shied away from large formats and unusual forms of presentation when it comes to providing a forum for the visual arts. Now we are facing something big again, and something uncertain at that. We are talking about the exhibition “Beer for Oil” with paintings by Tatjana Doll and a stowaway.

In themselves, Tatjana Doll’s paintings show nothing unusual in terms of their subject matter. Born in Burgsteinfurt in 1970, the artist studied in Düsseldorf and now lives in Berlin. On the contrary, she mostly paints everyday scenes. Every viewer recognizes what is depicted, and the production process is not hidden either. The traces of the paint application are clearly visible. The surface treatment appears quick, expansive, and brisk. There is nothing mysterious about the motif or the painting style. And yet Tatjana Doll challenges our viewing and reception habits. This begins with the location of the presentation. Of course, an art gallery is an appropriate exhibition space for art. But is it also appropriate for Tatjana Doll’s paintings? This question has been raised before, not only at the exhibition in Bremerhaven. More than once, the artist has deliberately chosen not to exhibit her works in the traditional, familiar art context, but in completely different locations. And there, outside of galleries and museums, the paintings appear to be in their natural habitat.

But it is not only in her presentation style that the artist challenges conventional forms. She also breaks with customary practices in her formats. Yet the formats of her pictures are not actually spectacular. They are neither gigantic nor distorted. They are normal canvases on stretcher frames, ordinary frames, square or rectangular. And above all, the formats suit the motif. Occasionally they exaggerate it, occasionally they reduce it. In any case, the combination of motif, format, and location results in something unusual. The artistic transformation into a two-dimensional image makes the depiction of everyday life irritating. This is not a game with perspectives. “It is more about the iconization of everyday life, the symbols of the city.” (Wim Peeters)

Oh yes. And then there is also the stowaway. With this term, Tatjana Doll remains, so to speak, in the picture. But what it is about will only be revealed in the exhibition. This is supported by the Kunstfonds Foundation for the Promotion of Contemporary Visual Arts in Bonn. An artist’s book and an edition will be published.

Kai Kähler

Curated by Klaus Becké.