Bernd Heinrich

04 "“ 26 June 2016

Bernd Heinrich
Solo Exhibition
Artsite Gallery
165 Salisbury Road, Camperdown 2050.
(02) 8095-9678
enquiries@artsite.com.au
www.artsite.com.au
Wed- Sun 11.00 to 5.00

The Australian landscape is reborn, not as a colonial outpost, surveyor's plot, picturesque sign of leisure/work, ownership, but as a conceptual and aesthetic playground for the artist's imagination, writes Imogen Corlette of Bernd Heinrich's Landscape Paintings.

Heinrich's work is quintessentially, contemporary Australian landscape, with a look that is simultaneously haunted, scarred, entrancing, lucid and resonating. 

The conceptual base of Bernd's work is highly esoteric. The sense of secrecy in the images is strong, with the landscape abstracted to the point where depth, focus and form are almost, obscured - and where the earth appears to harbour secrets and symbols which point outwards to realms beyond the canvas. 

Bernd's works are both highly physical (in the complex and rigorous nature of their construction) and highly esoteric. The result is a body of work which makes a well grounded and stimulating contribution to an art historical genre and to Contemporary Landscape as a vital element of current international artistic practice.

Born in Weimar, Germany, Bern Heinrich studied at the Art Academy Augsburg and arrived in Australia in the early 70's, returning to Europe several times before settling in Sydney in 1975. 

Heinrich has held numerous solo and group exhibitions in Germany, Australia and USA since 1974. These included the Grosse Kunst Ausstellung Munich in 1983 and 1984, the Wynne Prize and twice as finalist in the Archibald Prize in Australia and at the New Century Gallery in New York in 2000. 

Heinrich is represented in The National Portrait Gallery Canberra, as well as private collections in Australia, America and England.

This is Bernd Heinrich's first Solo Exhibition at Artsite Gallery.