Gabrielle Graessle — piff paff puff

PULPO GALLERY, Murnau, Germany from January 21 to February 25, 2023

Opening Reception: Saturday, January 21 from 5 to 8 pm – the artist is present

PULPO GALLERY is pleased to announce Gabrielle Graessle’s upcoming solo exhibition "piff paff puff", on view from 21 January through 25 February 2023. An opening reception will take place on Saturday, 21 January 2023 from 5 pm to 8 pm and we are especially happy to welcome Gabrielle Graessle on this occasion.

piff paff puff – Three little words that immediately evoke images in our minds: bright sparklers, joyful children’s games, and spectacular military parades. Gabrielle Graessle unites the most diverse motifs of our time in her oeuvre. She finds her inspiration in a pack of cards, during flea market visits, but also in dealing with current world politics. In some of her works, serious problems are hidden behind the innocent purity of playful representations. Destructive bombings indicated by squeaky colorful planes or political show of force wrapped in an official birthday celebration.

In her artistic practice, Graessle deals with a wide range of themes, some of which have accompanied her since her childhood and repeatedly appear in her works. Such recurring motifs include her own body awareness and the female identity captured in movies or Vogue issues.

“I paint all what surrounds me, what I see. My work is intuitive and inspired by all what takes my interest. All becomes form, enters into my drawings and paintings: animals, nature, fashion, films, books, news, also feelings, music, images from childhood up to now, without restrictions.”

Inspired by the seclusion and nature in Andalusia, Graessle is drawn to her studio every single day. She combines different artistic techniques within her work. In her paintings, the mostly large size of the canvases forms a significant contrast to the reduced representation.

Since 2017, texts keep appearing in her paintings and become an important part of the compositions. In addition to her paintings, this exhibition features several drawings by Graessle. These are not sketches but works in their own right. They allow her to work on certain motifs several times in different compositions. For her drawings, she uses homemade charcoal sticks and paper from a vast trove she had collected over the years from a wide variety of places. The choice of paper, partly checkered or perforated, is additionally incorporated into the composition.

The uninfluenced, pure way of freely expressing oneself creatively has always fascinated Graessle. The idea is to return to the innocence with which a child sees and captures the world. But she was discouraged to use this approach, for fear that it might be considered too quick and seen as unfinished. Supported by her long-standing experience in her current practice, she has found a unique path to lightness and ease in her painting style.

The exhibition Gabrielle Graessle – piff paff puff features the most recent paintings and drawings by the Andalusia-based artist. After numerous exhibitions and art fair participations in Spain and the US, Graessle’s works are being shown in a solo exhibition in Germany for the first time.

Gabrielle Graessle was born in Zurich, Switzerland in 1956 and now lives and works in Spain. She received her degree in graphic design from Zurich Art School. Graessle recently exhibited at SHITART CLUB in Los Angeles, at Alzueta Gallery in Barcelona and at BEERS in London.