o.T. (Grinder)
| Height | 160 cm |
|---|---|
| Width | 160 cm |
| Length/Depth | 3.5 cm |
Medium:
Oil, acrylic and varnish on canvas stretched over a wooden frame with a plywood panel glued to it
Technique:
Numerous layers of paint applied in various ways were sanded down using a sander.
Shipping:
The work is shipped stretched onto the painting support described above – including a certificate of authenticity and signature on the reverse.
An untitled painting created through countless iterations, with layer upon layer of paint applied. It features some graphic, geometric elements that can be discerned when viewed up close.
The sanding process creates a fine graphic texture which, when viewed up close, one can almost penetrate as if under a microscope, whilst from a greater viewing distance the visual effect is distinctly grittier, almost monochrome, or at least consisting of just a few colour nuances. The surface is contrasted by a finely painted colour gradient running through it, which can appear almost as if it has been glued on or digitally superimposed.
Daniel Wöllenstein
Lives and works in Cologne.
Artistic career
Education
2002–2009 Studied art at the University of Cologne under Rainer Barzen and Silke Leverkühne
Since 2007: Studio at KunstWerk Cologne
Exhibitions (selection)
2007 Blaumachen, KunstWerk Cologne
2008 ‘Bogen 2: Straight from the HART’ –
2008 Long Night of the Museums – ‘Festive Processions and Diodramas’
2008–2009 ‘Darwin – Design and Creation of a KVB Tram’ to mark Darwin Year 2009, in collaboration with students from the University of Cologne
2011 “Fette Nager – Bello and I” – Museum Night – KunstWerk Cologne
2016 nxnw Festival collaboration with Slobodan Kajkut “20 Interventions”
2016 “Raum 500” – exhibition with Olga Jakob and Heike Simmer – nxnw Festival
2017 “HORST” – KunstWerk Köln
2014–2017 Board member at KunstWerk Köln e.V.
2017 Chairperson of KunstWerk Köln e.V.
2019 Long Night of Museums “Wedding” – installation and collaboration with Heike Simmer
2021 TUNING – KunstWerk
2025 afternoonprojekts with Tom Gully, Oskar Lovis and Gilbert Flöck – KunstWerk Cologne
2026 Fragmented Realities – vonfraunberg Art Gallery, Düsseldorf
2026 Artist of the Month at SKM
Upcoming
June SKM Pop-up Exhibition, Munich
August: SKM Community Exhibition, Leipzig
Artist Statement
What’s it about? The works are taken from the ‘TUNING’ series – spanning the period from 2018 to the present day, although the pure colour segments have only come to dominate the ‘TUNING’ series since 2021. The focus is on a gradual abstraction and reduction of the pictorial content, whilst references to natural and man-made phenomena can be found in the colour and form compositions.
Within the seemingly equal segments, compositions of colour and form can create foregrounds and backgrounds that shift fluidly depending on the viewer’s focus. The play of light, which can be intensified by contrasting colour gradients to the point of ‘glow’, contributes to the sometimes sculptural impact of the works.
Digital colour selection scales, flip-flop paint finishes from tuned sports cars, sunsets, heavy industry, space and reflections in coffee can all find their way into the colour compositions.
