Karl Karner | fichtengrau

From a distance, the figurative silhouette of the objects initially comes to the forefront, only to reveal upon closer inspection a multitude of diverse organic forms, inevitably drawing the viewers' gaze into the depths of surreal landscape scenes. These are partly patinated and partly covered with clay slip by the artist. The result is an aesthetically homogeneous overall impression that almost gives the sculptures a classical appearance. From their observer position, humans gaze upon an artistic amalgam of our reality, distorted almost beyond recognition, frozen in the moment of its creation. Karner's reflections on the interplay between humans and nature seem to materialize in the sculptures: starting from the concrete motif of the spruce, which, as a particularly robust tree species in the 20th century, was predestined for reforesting forests, the full extent of human mismanagement of the past decades is vividly brought to light. In the face of climate change, tragically, the spruce is one of those tree species most severely affected by global warming.

 

It is an observational glance at our present rather than a clear critique that Karner undertakes here – pessimism is foreign to the artist; rather, delicate signs of hope become discernible as individual shoots sprout from the underground of one of his sculptures. Karner has prepared the ground of specific works with seeds, the watering of which he personally undertakes. Consequently, during the exhibition period, the sculpture will undergo a metamorphosis that symbolizes the human potential to counteract the damage already done by showing mindfulness towards nature and not remaining indifferent.

 

 

Text by Sergey Harutoonian