Beschreibung:

Mary Heilmann It's Raining Today 2009 oil on canvas 101.6 x 81 cm. (40 x 31 7/8 in.)
Provenance 303 Gallery, New York Catalogue Essay “ Each of my paintings can be seen as an autobiographical marker.” MARY HEILMANN New-York based artist Mary Heilmann has persistently pushed the boundaries of the abstract art movement since the 1970s by creating signature geometric paintings which are beautifully constructed and playful renditions of her daily inspirations. Her work ethos is inspired by the Japanese attitude of wabi-sabi, one that values imperfections as a constituent of beauty. Heilmann herself believes that this aesthetic has encouraged her paintings to be executed in the simplest way in order to let nature be part of the creation. It’s Raining Today exemplifes Heilmann’s unique approach of including weighty brushstrokes and splashes of paint together with geometric forms. This technique adds layer to the painting and aptly demonstrates Heilmann’s ability to combine methods of abstract expressionism with a lively pop sensibility. Nevertheless, the paintingmaintains a particular intimacy that is achieved by the artist’s unfussy approach, a key characteristic within her oeuvre. The majority of Heilmann’s paintings are accompanied by titles that serve as narrative markers, which inform the artwork. These relate to all aspects of her life, whether being personal feelings, everyday occurrences or references to popular culture, each creating an autobiographical marker for the artist. The dark paint dripping downthe geometric shapes on the canvas evokes subtle yet powerful associations with the movement of rain cascading down a window, an image that is further enforced by the title It’s Raining Today. It is the interplay of these elements that demonstrated just how much her works sensually engage with the world that surrounds them, really transmitting an emotion to the viewer which is indispensible in the artist’s work. as Heilmann herself explains: “Behind my choices of colour, surface, and scale, there is always a memory of a place or event and through concentrating upon the sense and mood of that memory; I try to let the painting have the feeling that the memory has for me.” (Mary Heilmann Good Vibrations, Dominic van den Boogerd, Walther König, Köln, 2013, p. 16). Read More